


War of Hearts (Reylo Hogwarts AU)

by thereyoflight



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Angst, Awkward Conversations, Background Relationships, Betrayal, Blood, Character Death, Child Abandonment, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Death Eaters, Dementors, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Family Issues, First Kiss, First Love, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, Hogwarts, Internal Conflict, On the Run, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prophecy, Quidditch, Quidditch World Cup, Rey is Not a Palpatine, Slow Burn, Torture, Yule Ball (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2020-07-24 21:30:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 41,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20021344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thereyoflight/pseuds/thereyoflight
Summary: Rey, an abandoned and forgotten child, discovers she is a witch and begins attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she meets the seemingly contrasting Slytherin, Ben Solo. An unlikely friendship begins between the two and they grow closer as they discover their similar pasts. However, tensions are beginning to rise at Hogwarts with the constant threat of Voldemort and his followers. Rey is caught between an unexpected war she didn't ask to be a part of -- and an unexpected war in her heart for her childhood best friend, Ben Solo, who seems to have chosen a path she can't follow him into.





	1. The Letter

**Author's Note:**

> This story runs parallel with Harry's time at Hogwarts, but there might be slight changes that contradict it. Some magic will be changed or have additions to it. Just a small disclaimer.

Rey played with the little doll in her hands. It was a small, ragged thing that couldn’t be recognized as anything but a barren _thing_ waiting to be given some substance of character and depth in a factory. Except it was made by the creativity of a bored and tired girl seeking some sort of comfort in anything. Rey made it with old, torn clothing of hers resulted from fights with other orphanage kids, as well as other items she had found around the orphanage and trash cans she could manage to peek into. It was her only solace in the life she lived.

Rey’s stomach growled with hunger. She hadn’t eaten since the day previous, but she hadn’t wanted to bother Unkar Plutt that morning. He had been in a very bad mood, as he usually was. Rey didn’t want to annoy him again with her existence to simply ask for food when she knew he could easily yell at her and not give her food for another two days to teach her a lesson about bothering him when he didn’t want to be bothered. It was always a risk asking for it, so Rey usually kept to herself unless she was so hungry she was lightheaded or couldn’t bear it anymore.

Rey decided she should take the risk. She stepped up to her feet, clutching the doll to her chest, as she stepped out of her shared room and into the hallway. The whole orphanage was white, with broken plasters along the wall and cracked paint. Though it was somewhat well kept, it could be kept cleaner.

Rey’s small feet tread down the stairs, her mini buns bobbing along with her movement and her steps sending the wood under her feet into creaking shrieks. The orphanage was quiet despite this. It was the middle of the afternoon, so most of the children were outside playing, fighting, or wandering around the town. Something Unkar Plutt didn’t seem to mind much except if Rey were the one wandering around or playing; he only seemed to not care much when Rey was the one dragged into a fight she didn’t want to be a part of.

Rey stopped before Unkar’s office door, fear beginning to seize her. It was closed, thankfully, but nothing changed the intimidation it had. It was the door into the room of a man that had not given Rey the temporary home he was supposed to provide. Orphanages weren’t perfect, but Unkar’s was the worst Rey and anyone could imagine. He cared so little for the children and their health, and he would not bat an eye if any of them were to be seriously hurt. It would be a blessing to him because it would be one less mouth to feed.

Rey gulped down her fear and knocked on the door. Immediately, there was an annoyed voice on the other side that yelled, “What?”

Rey closed her eyes, praying for a moment to whoever would hear that food would be given to her. _Any food,_ she thought quickly. _Just something so I won’t be so hungry, please._ Rey placed her hand on the doorknob, turning it and peeking her head into the open door. She was faced with the lumpish shape of the orphanage’s owner, eyes squinted tightly in annoyance. “What is it you want, girl?” Unkar sneered distastefully.

“I-I’m hungry,” Rey replied nervously.

Unkar kept his eyes on her and for a terrifying moment, Rey thought he would refuse her again. Instead, he said, “Very well.” He looked over his desk before picking up a foam plate and holding it out to her. “Take this and don’t bother me again, will you? I’m a busy man.”

Rey restrained herself from running forward in excitement to finally have something to eat. She slowly stepped forward and took the plate from his grasp across the wooden desk, gripping her doll in her opposite hand. “Thank you,” she whispered, before leaving his office as quickly as she could, shutting the door behind her. She didn’t allow herself to look down at the plate until she ran all the way back up the stairs, afraid he’d change his mind.

On the plate was the residue of eaten food, most likely from Unkar’s lunch, and a sole piece of bread with a rather large bite taken out of it. Rey looked around the hallway, making sure there was no one around to steal her only meal. She then placed the plate on the ground with her doll beside it, close enough to grab it in time in case a fellow orphan wanted to take it from her for a laugh. Even if she lost the meal, she could probably manage to salvage another one in the coming days, but the doll was irreplaceable. Rey tore off the bread around the bite mark with her small fingers and took a bite of the bread. It was stale and hard, but she still cherished it, taking her time with every bite.

After she threw away the plate, Rey returned to her room to find the window open, allowing the summer wind in. She was confused for moment, sure she hadn't left the window open, but the thought faded when she saw an owl perched on her too-thin mattress, a letter alongside it. The owl looked at her, blinking momentarily before flying out the window again. Rey ran toward the window to see where the owl was flying off to, but it was gone. She turned to the letter on her bed, picking it up curiously.

Rey was surprised to find it was addressed to her:

_Rey_  
_Jakku Orphanage_  
_London_

Although Rey still had no idea what was inside, she had the overwhelming feeling that everything was about to change.


	2. An Unlikely Friendship

The next couple of months went by in blinding speed.

Just the day after Rey received her Hogwarts letter, Auror Leia Organa and Hit Wizard Han Solo arrived at the orphanage on the behalf of Dumbledore in regards to her letter. Of course, Unkar Plutt put up a fight in attempting to scare away yet another interested in Rey, of which Organa and Solo refused to listen to. It was the first time Rey had witnessed someone who could help her look beyond Unkar’s lies about her.

In fact, they not only ignored him, but Han both used the Silencing Charm and The Memory Charm on him, solidifying the end of his abuse of Rey forever. In that moment, Rey regarded both Organa and Solo as her saviors and she knew that in all her years of living in the freedom to come, she’d never be able to fully repay them for that simple yet life changing act.

Leia and Han were there to bring Rey to Diagon Alley and buy her robes, books, and have a wand choosing ceremony, all while providing backstory about the Wizarding World and answering several questions she had about it. They explained the Ministry, Quidditch, Hogwarts Houses, and so many other things that left Rey’s mind reeling from so much new information. Rey was in absolute awe that she could be part of such a world of magic and impossibility. Her of all people -- Rey, a nobody.

Rey asked if her parents had been wizards, perhaps something had happened with this You-Know-Who guy that sent them into hiding and abandoning Rey. Surely, Rey hadn’t been abandoned for no reason. But shadows cast themselves over Leia’s and Han’s faces as they shook their heads gravely. No, Rey’s parents were nobodies, indeed. Muggles who abandoned their daughter, just as Rey had always suspected but never wanted to fully admit. Rey remained silent, thinking there might be another reason for her to think of as to why her parents had abandoned her.

“Don’t worry, though,” Leia said softly. “You’ll find a new home at Hogwarts. They will become like a second family to you, you’ll see. And you won’t be alone either. There’s going to be so many others attending as first years too. In fact, my son is going to be a first year student himself. Maybe you’ll become friends.”

As she said the words, Rey could see the love burning in her eyes for her son, mingled with what looked like sadness. Han had the same downcast look in his own eyes. Rey wondered what it could be, but she thought it would be rude to ask, so Rey stayed silent.

For the rest of the summer, Rey was placed in the care of the Tico’s, a close knit family with two daughters, Rose and Paige. Leia informed Rey that they were very close friends of her and her family. They could be trusted.

The family welcomed Rey in with open arms, delighted to help. Rey was not used to being able to eat so much food without harsh consequence, warm frequent showers, or even clean clothes, so adjusting to the Tico’s was dizzying at first. To be cared for, fed, given comfort and stability… it was something Rey wasn’t used to, but she grew to cherish it deeply. Not only had the Tico’s offered only kindness and love to her, but they treated her as their own.

Rey soon learned that Rose was her age, also starting her first year at Hogwarts. The soon to be shared experience allowed them to develop a rather quick friendship after Rey’s shyness dissipated. Paige, however, would be returning for her sixth year at Hogwarts.

When it came to getting on the Hogwarts Express on September 1, Rey’s stomach was doing somersaults with nervousness. Getting onto the platform was nerve-racking enough as she was sure she’d ram into the wall. However, she hadn’t, and she stood in astonishment as she found herself on an entirely different platform. Platform 9 ¾. “Rey, come on!” Rose had yelled as she sped for the Hogwarts Express.

Rey, however, turned back to Rose’s parents, who smiled at her and urged her on. Tears burned at the back of her eyes as she ran back to them and hugged them. “Thank you,” she whispered as tears spilled onto her cheeks. The Tico’s had provided the temporary home Unkar Plutt never had. It was the closest Rey had ever felt to having a family.

Rose’s mother wiped the tears from Rey’s cheeks. “Go on, now,” she said warmly. “You don’t want to miss it.”

Rey nodded, smiling. She turned and ran back to Rose, who waited patiently by the train entrance. “Took you long enough!” Rose said as she climbed onto the train, Rey following close behind.

All the compartments were full, so they joined two boys named Finn and Poe on the train, who they became quick friends with. They theorized about what houses they thought they’d be sorted into, talked about the rumor of Harry Potter attending his first year with them, and laughed along with Poe’s jokes.

When the train arrived at Hogwarts, a large man named Hagrid led them from the train onto boats to take to the school, which was lit brightly in the night. It’s beautiful, Rey thought automatically. It was magical in her eyes, and funnily enough, it obviously was. They docked at an underground harbor, right underneath the castle. They followed Hagrid up a passageway, arriving onto wet grass in the shadow of the large castle. The first years crowded in front of the large, wooden front door in expectant excitement. Hagrid raised his fist and knocked on the castle’s oak door three times.

The door was opened to them by a tall, gray-haired witch in emerald-green robes, who Hagrid introduced as Professor McGonagall. McGonagall dismissed Hagrid and showed them into a small, empty chamber. She welcomed them to Hogwarts, gave them insight into the Sorting ceremony they were about to be a part of, and disappeared.

Rey turned to Rose next to her, suddenly nervous again. Rose must have read the nervousness in her face, because she said, “It’ll be okay. We’re doing this together.” Rose smiled, and Rey couldn’t help but smile back.

Professor McGonagall returned, making them form into a line and follow her into the Great Hall. Rey had never imagined such a place. The entire room was lit by thousands of candles floating in mid air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The room was alive with the talking and movement of other students, as if the first years weren’t even there. Rey noticed the velvet black ceiling was dotted with stars. “Rose-?” she began in question.

A shining smile rose over Rose’s face. “Oh! That! Paige told me it’s bewitched to look like the sky outside. Cool, isn’t it?” she said as she gazed into the ceiling. Rey could’ve stared at it all night, trying to figure out how it could possibly be a ceiling at all when it looked as if there was no roof at all when movement occurred in the front of the room, stealing Rey’s attention.

Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of the first years with a pointed wizard’s hat over it. The hat was patched, frayed, and extremely dirty. Rey noticed that the entire Great Hall had gone quiet as they stared at the hat now before them. Rey jumped in surprise when she saw the hat twitch and open its mouth. _A mouth!?_ Rey thought in bewilderment, eyes wide with shock. She was even more surprised when the hat began to sing:

_“Oh, you may not think I’m pretty,_

_But don’t judge on what you see,_

_I’ll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There’s nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can’t see,_

_So try me on and_

_I will tell you Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you’ve a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You’ll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don’t be afraid!_

_And don’t get in a flap!_

_You’re in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I’m a Thinking Cap!”_

Everyone in the Great Hall burst into applause. When the applause subsided, Professor McGonagall stepped forward and began calling names from a long roll of parchment. Rey watched in wonder as children, one at a time, stepped forward, got the hat placed on their head, were sorted, and joined their respective houses.

Poe was the first of the quartet to get called forward, where he was quickly sorted into Gryffindor. Finn was second, getting put into Hufflepuff house. The rumor mentioned on the Hogwarts Express turned out to be true: Harry Potter was attending Hogwarts this year. Whispers had broken out across the room when his name was called. He was sorted into Gryffindor, which made the Gryffindors very happy, judging from their thunderous applause.

Rey was called third from the quartet. Rose squeezed Rey’s hand from behind her for reassurance as Rey sauntered forward. She sat down on the stool, heart hammering in her chest as the hat was placed over her head.

“Hmm, interesting,” a voice whispered in her ear. “Such bravery, such strength. Headstrong, stubborn. Such fierce loyalty too. Hmm, I see… Better be GRYFFINDOR!”

The Gryffindor table burst into applause as they welcomed another into their house. Rey sat next to Poe who smiled brightly at her. Professor McGonagall called out a name that made Rey’s ears perk up in interest. “Solo, Ben!”

A pale figure stepped forward, a mop of unruly dark hair atop his head. Despite his dark appearance, the boy was smiling. Rey quickly made the connection. Solo, like Han Solo, the man who saved her from Plutt alongside Leia Organa. This must be the son Leia mentioned, the one they had looked upset about. _But why?_ Rey wondered. The Sorting Hat had barely been placed on his head, when it yelled, “SLYTHERIN!”

Whispers broke out around the Great Hall. Rey turned to Poe in question. “What’s wrong with that?” she asked.

“Don’t you know?” he whispered. “His parents -- Han Solo and Leia Organa. They’re among the most famous and respected of the Ministry and Dumbledore himself. They’re Gryffindors, like everyone else in their family. Ben is the only one to be in a different house. Slytherin, at that.” Rey still looked confused. “Gryffindor and Slytherin are known rivals,” Poe explained.

“Oh,” Rey said, unsure of what to say, but finally understanding. Before Rey could think of anything else to ask, Rose was called to be sorted. After much thought, the Sorting Hat finally said, “GRYFFINDOR!”

Rose was relieved when she joined Rey and Poe. “It nearly put me in Ravenclaw, but I begged to be put in Gryffindor! No way would I be in the same house as my bossy sister and no way would I be leaving you behind, Rey!” The comment made Rey’s heart warm with appreciation.

After the large feast of food and Dumbedore’s speech welcoming everyone back to Hogwarts and introducing the teachers, Rey’s tummy was full and her eyes were heavy with tiredness. Rey, Rose, and Poe, along with the other Gryffindor first years followed Percy out of the Great Hall. Despite Rey’s tiredness, her eyes lingered curiously over the dark-haired boy across the hall. As if sensing her stare, Ben Solo raised his head and met her eyes. Rey tore her eyes from his, her cheeks beginning to blaze with embarrassment to have been caught staring at him. Although Rey could feel his dark eyes on her, she didn’t meet his gaze again.

Rey quickly forgot her embarrassment when she found herself inside the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, warm lit room full of squashy armchairs. Percy directed the girls to their dormitories. Rey was so tired that she pulled on her pajamas and was fast asleep before any of the other girls had even climbed into bed.

* * *

Rey’s first year at Hogwarts was nothing short of overwhelming. While she learned so much about the Wizarding World at Hogwarts, the classes were completely new to her and difficult. Back at the orphanage, Unkar Plutt didn’t necessarily see education for the children as a priority. It was a miracle if they were taught more than two lessons a week. The lack of a normal education set Rey back compared to the other children in her year. Rey spent countless extra hours in the library, studying and reading what she could to try to catch up to her level.

Underneath all the business, deep down, Rey was terrified she’d fail and lose the one security she’d ever had anywhere.

Despite this, Rey still found time to spend with her new friends. Rose, Finn, and Poe proved time and time again to be loyal and supportive friends, understanding Rey’s constant absence and offering their help in the subjects she needed the most aid in. Not everything was school and classes, though, as the quartet attended their first ever Quidditch game in November. It was the first Quidditch match of the term: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Once Rey had seen the countless witches and wizards flying at incredible speed in the sky, she decided she had to manage a way to play on the Gryffindor team the following year.

The only other person who matched the same marvel and determination in her eyes during that game was Ben Solo, head swarming with the same idea of joining his own house’s team.

Soon enough, Christmas was approaching. It was both an exciting and painful time for Rey. It was the first time she’d had genuine joy tied to the holiday. After all, she was at Hogwarts with her friends. The problem was that with such a huge holiday approaching, there was a lot of talk from other students about returning to their families to celebrate. At Hogwarts, she realized, everyone had someone. She had never felt so alone in knowing so. All her fellow Gryffindors had someone to go home to and enjoy their holiday with. She didn’t and she never had.

And again, Rey realized unbearably, she was a nobody with no home and no one to call her own.

When Professor McGonagall had come around to make a list of who would be staying during the holidays, Rey jumped to sign her name. She had looked into McGonagall’s eyes, usually stern, but had found them to be soft. “Dear Rey,” she said. “You know Hogwarts can be your home, but only if you allow it to be. Look where you are. You are surrounded by friends. Is there any better place to be?”

Rey was taken aback by her words, reminding them of Leia's own words to her at Diagon Alley. McGonagall had been a strict teacher during the term. For Rey see hear talk to her in such a friendly and motherly way was foreign, odd, but Rey couldn’t stop thinking about her words. Of course, her friends would never equate to the family Rey always dreamed she would have, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be. It didn’t mean they couldn’t grow to become the family Rey never had. After all, Rey had experienced a piece of that with the Tico’s.

Upon hearing Rey was staying behind for the holidays, Rose, Finn, and even Poe stayed behind too. Though Finn had been sorted into a different house, they went out of their way to make sure he was included just as much. On Christmas morning, they even opened each other’s presents in the Great Hall so Finn could be included. They all received special Christmas sweaters with their first name initial from Rose’s mother, as well as lots of chocolate.

One early winter morning, while Rose and Poe were still asleep, Rey took some library books with her to the Great Hall to read and learn what she could about this still new world she found herself a part of. There were a handful of students there already, others who had stayed behind. Rey sat at the Gryffindor table and her eyes immediately landed on a familiar head of dark hair across the hall. It was a pale figure with jet black hair at the Slytherin table, his sweater of silver and green looking large over his small figure. Rey recognized him in a heartbeat. He looked up, as if sensing Rey’s curious eyes.

Across the Great Hall, Rey felt a sense of recognition pass between them. Not being able to help herself, Rey smiled at him, and Ben Solo smiled back, much to her surprise. And so this sparked the beginning of an unlikely friendship.


	3. No Matter What

In their encounter in the Great Hall, Rey walked over to Ben with her mountain of library books and dropped them on the table. Ben looked confused, but Rey introduced herself. She was bewildered by her own actions, even then, considering how embarrassed she’d been when she had been caught that first day staring at Ben. But Ben didn’t seem to mind, introducing himself as well. They spent that whole morning together, talking while Ben helped her with what he could, until Rose came to get Rey for a late breakfast.

For the rest of their first year, they didn’t talk much. Ben was always with his Slytherin friends, which Rey and her fellow Gryffindors weren’t very fond of. They smiled and waved at each other from across classrooms, hallways, the Great Hall, anywhere they’d see each other. The few times their other housemates saw the friendly exchange, they looked between them in confusion, but Rey and Ben never seemed to mind.

It wasn’t until they ran into each other on the Hogwarts Express on their way home that things started to shift. Rey thanked him for helping her that morning since she didn’t have the chance to that day or any day afterward.

“It’s no problem,” Ben said. “I just wish I could’ve spent more time with you.”

Rey blinked at him in surprise. “We’re in rival houses,” she stated.

“Yes,” Ben agreed, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

Rey couldn’t argue with him. She had no reason to because he was right. Ben hadn’t treated her or her friends as his other Slytherin peers did. Instead, he’d been kind. Before Rey could reply, Ben asked, “Maybe we can write to each other this summer?”

“Yes…” Rey replied, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Yes, I’d like that. But I suppose I’ll be seeing you next year?”

Ben nodded in answer. A voice called his name behind him. Ben turned and Rey saw Draco’s white-blond head of hair waiting for him in a compartment where she was sure his other friends were. “I have to go, but I’ll write. I promise!”

Much to Rey’s disbelief, Ben kept his promise and sent her his first letter just days afterward. 

And so, after the summer back with the Tico’s, receiving letters from old friends and Ben, Rey returned for her second year at Hogwarts. Ben even joined Rey and her friends in their compartment as they caught up with each other in more detail of their summer. Finn described his time in Nigeria with his family. Poe explained his Quidditch lessons from his father, who happened to be a professional Quidditch player. Rose and Rey talked about all the pranks they pulled on Paige and all the troublesome things they did around the Tico’s home for fun. Ben, though, didn’t mention anything about his own summer away.

Ben’s lack of speaking led Rey to observe him more that year in his quietness, wondering what was going on inside his head and how she could help her new friend. Rey never quite figured out much of what caused Ben to look so upset that year, but they grew incredibly close nonetheless. They tried out for Quidditch together, earned their respective positions as Chasers, played their first Quidditch game against each other (Gryffindor won, to Ben’s disappointment), studied together, and even talked about how Gilderoy Lockhart was an obvious sham.

Their friendship became so important that Ben even put a Knee-Reversal Hex on Malfoy when he called Rey a mudblood. Ben received a hard punch to the face for that, leaving his nose broken and bloody. Ben was pleased with himself, even after receiving detention for his actions, as Malfoy never dared say anything insulting to Rey again.

The summer after their second year, Ben even went so far as to invite Rey to stay with him and his family for a week. The Tico’s agreed happily, knowing how valuable Rey’s friendship to Ben had become. On top of it all, Leia and Han seemed more excited to spend time with her than Ben himself, judging from the way Ben spoke of them. And so, Rey found herself in Ben’s home for the first time, but certainly not the last.

It was a beautiful home, nicer than the Tico’s, due to their high positions in the Ministry. Leia and Han had been so excited to see Rey again that they baked her a cake -- chocolate, just as she liked. They commented on how much she’d grown, beautifully so, since the last time they’d seen her and how happy they were that she became such good friends with Ben. Ben seemed happy in these moments, but Rey could still see the faraway look in his eyes from the previous year. It seemed more present that week than ever before, in the presence of his parents.

Whenever Rey tried to ask about it, Ben changed the subject.

It wasn’t until their third year that Rey found out the truth in a way she both wasn’t expecting and wasn’t particularly fond of. They were on the Hogwarts Express, alone in their own compartment. Rey had lost Rose on the platform and settled on staying with Ben for the trip. She knew she’d have plenty of time to catch up with Finn and Poe when they arrived at Hogwarts. Rey and Ben were talking about the news of Sirius Black escaping Azkaban when the train came to a stop.

Rey and Ben looked at each other in alarm. The lights on the train went out then, submerging them in darkness. Rey and Ben instinctively reached for each other in their fear and they found their hands interlaced tightly. In the darkness, Rey’s eyes adjusted and she could see Ben’s confused face at the action, mirroring her own. Flustered, she tore her hand away.

“What’s going on?” Rey asked.

“I don’t know,” Ben replied. He stood from his seat and walked over to the window. He looked around outside in an attempt to get any hint at an answer. “Maybe we’ve broken down?”

“Can that even happen? Isn’t this fueled by magic or something?”

“Just because we’re wizards doesn’t mean everything is fueled by magic!” Ben whispered.

“Well, then, what’s the bloody point of magic at all!?” Rey argued, annoyed at his response.

Ben ignored her. Rey opened her mouth to say something else to continue their banter when she saw their compartment door slide open. What she saw silenced her: A towering, cloaked figure of darkness stood over them, its decaying hand perched against the compartment door as it peered in at them. Rey could only see a pit of infinite shadows underneath its black hood. She suddenly felt cold all over, as if she’d been plunged into ice water and she was sinking, sinking, sinking…

Rey heard screaming in the distance, growing louder as she came closer to the source of it. A blurry image appeared before her of white walls full of chipped paint and broken plaster. Four figures were ahead of her and Rey watched as they slowly sharpened into human figures. Unkar Plutt, Rey saw, with his large hand over the wrist of a small child. The small girl looked barely five years old with her hair pulled back into three small buns. Realization surged through Rey at the sight and her heart dropped. She looked over at the other two figures, enhanced enough to look like a man and a woman, but their features remained foggy.

“No!” Little Rey yelled. “Come back!”

Rey watched in horror as the two figures stepped out of the orphanage, every step growing the distance between them and their daughter begging with every fiber of her little heart not to leave. The image started to fade like ink in water and Rey ran toward her parents as they walked away. “No! Mom! Dad! Come back! Please!” Rey yelled after them.

The image faded completely and suddenly, there was a thick white fog surrounding her, engulfing her in her own pain and sadness, telling her she’d never know happiness or love or family. Rey was screaming, pleading for it to end, to stop--

“Rey! Rey!” Ben’s voice, so close. “Rey, are you okay?”

Rey opened her eyes, jolted back to reality. Light blinded her and the ground shook below her. The train was working again, she realized, and she seemed to have fallen to the ground. She noticed her cheeks were wet from her own tears and Ben was above her. Remembering what happened, wherever she’d been… Rey reached up and hugged Ben close to her, feeling comfort in his embrace. Ben stiffened from the touch, as if it were foreign to him, but he slowly relaxed and wrapped his arms around her.

“What was that _thing_?” she murmured, shaken. Her voice was so low that Ben wouldn’t have heard had she not been so close to him.

“A dementor. One from Azkaban,” Ben replied, pulling away from her. He fumbled with something in his pocket. “I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t conjure a Patronus. Luckily, a teacher is on board. He used a Patronus Charm against it. Here, eat this.” He offered her a piece of chocolate.

Rey took it from him and ate it. Immediately, she felt warmth course through her body. Ben watched her nervously as she stood to her feet. The compartment spun wildly and it took Rey a couple seconds to regain her balance. Ben rose to help her, but she waved him off. Rey sat down in her seat and Ben took a tentative seat beside her. “What happened?” she asked.

“It-It came in and looked right at you and then you just fainted,” Ben said, his eyes looking lost in the memory. “It stood over you… it looked like it was consuming you… like it was eating away at your life or something…” Ben shuddered. “Then you started screaming something…”

Rey froze. “What did I say?”

Ben hesitated, meeting her eyes. When he didn’t say anything, she spoke again, more urgently. “Ben, what did I say?”

“You kept calling for your mom and dad…” he said. “Screaming at them to come back?” Rey’s face paled. “Rey… you’ve never told me anything about them…”

“What’s the point?” she snapped, growing angry. Tears burned at the back of her eyes and she attempted to blink them away. “It’s not like I know anything about yours anyway.” She turned to face the window, not wanting Ben to see the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

While she had been wondering what it was that was going on between Ben and his parents, it didn’t bother Rey enough to snap at him like that. No, she was afraid. She knew if she confided in Ben, in anyone, it would mean accepting that her parents had abandoned her and would never come back for her. She didn’t want to accept that. She didn’t want to accept that she had been an unwanted child because maybe then Ben would leave her too, or Rose, or Finn, or Poe. She was afraid they’d uncover the reason her parents left and they’d leave to, and she’d be left with the broken truth of what she was: unwanted and unloveable.

There was a silence in the compartment now. Ben and Rey knew they had reached a line in their friendship, an unspoken one about true friendship and what that meant. Rey knew neither of them would cross it. She surely wouldn’t. She could feel their friendship cracking underneath the weight of unspoken words. She knew that once it broke, then that would be it.

“My parents are afraid of me,” Ben said suddenly, breaking the silence. Rey whirled to face him, astonished that he would take a leap in opening up. “They’ve felt I was different ever since I was born… I know they have. They look at me… and it seems like the sight of me pains them. They whisper about me when they think I’m asleep. It’s like they wish they’d never had me… It hasn’t gotten any easier since I was sorted.” He was quiet for a moment and Rey could see his eyes water. “Do you know what it’s like to have your parents see you that way? As a mistake? Like they don’t even know what to do with you?” He took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears away. “I know they don’t know what to do with me. It’s why they send me to my Uncle Luke for almost entire summers.”

Ben finally looked at her. “That’s why I tried to fight off the dementor,” he explained. “Luke tried to teach me how to do it, but I never could think of a memory happy enough. He’s taught me other things, but he’s just like my parents. Afraid. Of me.”

Rey didn’t know what she was expecting. She didn’t know what she thought would be the true problem going on in Ben’s family, but she would have never imagined anything like that. In her mind before, Ben had everything she dreamed of and she couldn’t process the idea of that not being enough. She had been envious that he could even be distant from them when she’d never had that luxury. She quickly became aware of how foolish it was to assume that Ben’s family was perfect simply because he had what she never did. She just hadn’t known the full story.

“Why?” Rey questioned. She couldn’t understand how Leia and Han could be afraid of Ben, who was so kind and shy. Just a boy.

“They sense that I’m different…” Ben admitted. “That there’s some darkness growing inside of me. That I’m bad.”

“Ben, you’re not,” Rey whispered. “You never have been bad. You’re the best person I’ve ever met.”

Ben only nodded, not agreeing or disagreeing with Rey. Tears burned at the back of her eyes at the sight of him looking so upset, so clearly not believing her words. Rey wished she could show him just how true her words about him were. She’d seen his compassion and kindness first hand in all the ways he’d helped and defended her. It ached her heart to know that Ben believed anything different about himself.

“My parents abandoned me,” Rey choked out. She made sure she was staring at her feet when she said it. Shame washed over her as she admitted it. The shame felt so powerful, so all-consuming that she could barely get her next words out. “I can’t remember why… but they left me at an orphanage and they never came back for me. I still remember screaming for them, begging them to come back, but they didn’t. I believed for years they were coming back but the truth has been there the whole time: they never are. They left me all alone. Like I was nothing.”

“You’re not nothing,” Ben said. “Especially not to me. You’re the most important person in my life, Rey, truly.”

Rey met Ben’s eyes then, and a shock of recognition passed between them once again. Rey noticed the similarities in Ben and herself then. Even though they had come from entirely different environments, they both shared something in common: they both felt utterly and completely alone, a result from their parents, unintentional or not. It was as if they’d been drawn together as a perfect match, as if fate itself knew they would need each other. They understood each other in a way no one else would. A realization suddenly formed in her mind as she gazed into his familiar, dark eyes: they'd never be alone again. Now, they had each other. _Oh, what did I do to deserve you, Ben Solo?_ Rey thought as she offered him a small smile.

“Best friends?” Ben asked, brow raised in question.

“Until the very end,” Rey agreed. “No matter what.”


	4. Tea Leaves and Prophecies

After the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade station, Ben joined Rey in a carriage with Rose, Finn, and Poe. They shifted uneasily when they first saw Ben, their eyes following him carefully. Rey couldn’t blame them for being wary around Ben since his friends weren’t the nicest to them. She was sure they had their secret suspicions about Ben that they refused to tell her about. She didn’t care. Ben had proven himself to her time and time again and especially so on the train. She trusted him, even if her friends didn’t.

Rose, Finn, and Poe were quickly sidetracked from their discomfort by their concern for Rey and the incident on the train. Rey explained what happened briefly, leaving out what she experienced during the attack and, of course, what happened afterward between her and Ben. She insisted she was okay and that there was nothing to worry about. Even with this being said, they all looked at her nervously, Ben included.

“You’re not the only one, so don’t feel too bad,” Rose said. Rey’s eyebrows raised in question. “Harry Potter? He was attacked, too.”

“Oh, great,” Rey said sarcastically. “So I was attacked by a dementor and so was the boy who lived. That’s not going to attract any attention at all.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Ben said. “I’ll make sure they don’t say anything about you.”

By _they_ , the quartet knew Ben meant the Slytherins. Rose, Finn, and Poe were back to looking uncomfortable. They seemed to have forgotten Ben’s presence entirely until he spoke. Even after spending an entire train ride with Ben during their second year, they weren’t very convinced that he was any better than his fellow Slytherins, Rey noticed. _That’s okay_ , Rey thought. _Soon they’ll all see._

When they arrived at the castle, Professor McGonagall interrupted not only Rey and Ben but Harry Potter and Hermione Granger as well, urging them to follow her. She took them to Madam Pomfrey to whom Harry and Rey both assured they were fine. There was a moment where Rey looked at her Gryffindor companion, Harry Potter himself, and smiled. Harry Potter returned a small smile.

Rey felt strange being so near to Harry. There was so much talk about him -- this boy who lived, who survived this impossible curse -- that Rey nearly thought he wasn’t even real. A part of her believed he was a myth, even though she’d seen him countless times around Hogwarts.

After much persistence of saying they were okay, Harry, Hermione, Rey, and Ben were released to attend the opening feast. They had missed the Sorting, so by the time they took their seats, Dumbledore was rising to speak. Dumbledore quickly welcomed everyone before explaining some matters.

“As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business,” Dumbledore said. Rey noticed his unhappy face and she thought he was probably as eager as she was about the dementors. He continued, saying, “They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission.”

Rey’s stomach lurched violently. _Dementors at every entrance?_ she thought fearfully. It was terrifying enough to see one so close in person, let alone be attacked by one. She remembered what she experienced when she was attacked and shuddered. The idea of seeing them nearly everyday… She had no idea how she was going to deal with it.

Rey had been so distracted with her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed Dumbledore had begun to introduce new teachers. The first was Professor Lupin, their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The second was Hagrid, the large man that always accompanied the students to the castle after their arrival every year, who had been appointed their Care of Magical Creatures teacher. After they were introduced, the feast began.

The Great Hall magically filled with food and Rey found herself ravenous with hunger. After helping herself to as much food as she pleased, Rey and the other students were being led back to their dormitories. Rey smiled and waved at Ben before being whisked away with her other Gryffindors. Rey was fast asleep nearly the second her head hit the pillow.

* * *

The next morning, as expected, Malfoy and the other Slytherins made some embarrassing comments to Harry about the dementor incident as he walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. They shifted their attention to Rey as she walked by, finding their new prey. Rey saw Malfoy open his mouth to say something, but he was cut short as Ben glared at him. Rey smirked at Malfoy mockingly and he turned away in annoyance.

Rey caught Rose smile at Ben in appreciation.

“See?” Rey teased Rose. “They’re not all bad.”

Before Rose could reply, they were joining Poe, who immediately went into a very passionate talk about Quidditch. After breakfast, Rey, Rose, and Poe were heading to a new class. “Divination with Sybill Trelawney,” Rose read from her course schedule. “At the top of the North Tower.”

“The top of _what_?” Poe asked incredulously. Even after two years at Hogwarts, there were many places they hadn’t been and the North Tower was one of them.

“That’s not even the worst of it!” Rose said. “We’re with the Slytherins!”

Rose’s eyes flickered to Rey, but Rey didn’t say a word. Rey had seen Rose smile at Ben in the Great Hall. That was enough for now.

The journey to the North Tower was long and hard. It seemed as if the castle kept creating staircases just to spite them. Rey was sure she wouldn’t be able to feel her legs the next day from all the stairs she needed to climb, but alas, they arrived. They saw an open trapdoor on the ceiling and a ladder.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Rose whispered.

Rey couldn’t blame her. The view they were faced with was unsettling. If Rey hadn’t known any better, she would’ve thought it was the entrance to a haunted attic.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Rey said, walking forward and climbing the ladder up into a small room that was crammed with several circular tables. All the large windows in the classroom were closed off by curtains except for one, allowing the morning light to provide enough illumination for the entire room. It looked like a copy of the Gryffindor common room with all the crimson red draped over it. Nearly everything in sight was scarlet: the curtains hanging from the ceiling, the tablecloths over the tables, the fat little poufs, and armchairs.

It almost felt wrong for the Slytherins to be inside with such ruby everywhere, an obvious color of the Gryffindors.

Rose and Poe appeared beside her, looking around in bemusement at the small classroom. Rey could see Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger close by. “Where is she?” Rey heard Ron ask.

“Welcome,” a voice said. A thin woman appeared from the shadows with large glasses that magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, reminding Rey of an insect. “How nice to see you in the physical world at last.”

Rey, Rose, and Poe looked at each other in confusion. Rey heard students snickering in response and she turned to see that it was the Slytherins, Draco Malfoy unsurprisingly among them. Ben was close by, too, she saw, but he looked troubled instead of entertained.

Professor Trelawney invited them to sit and they all sat down into the cherry-colored armchairs and poufs. She welcomed them into Divination, which she described as the most difficult of all magical arts. She explained the many different methods of Divination they would be focused on in the year. The first was tea leaves, which they would be studying that day. Professor Trelawney directed them to divide into pairs, collect a teacup from the shelf, and allow her to fill it. She gave them directions to sit down and drink their tea until the dregs remained, followed by other strange instructions.

The Gryffindors and Slytherins were short on students for pairing, so Rey and Ben instantly gravitated towards each other. Rey was sure that it was one of the first times the two houses didn’t have any strong opinions about their friendship, but gratitude instead. Rey and Ben sat in armchairs at a small table, knees nearly grazing each other.

“This teacher freaks me out,” Ben whispered to Rey. “It’s like at any moment she’s going to tell me how I’m going to die.”

“Me too,” Rey whispered. “If this class is here to scare us, it’s won, because I’m freaked out.”

In their fear of being read out their untimely deaths, Rey and Ben drank their scalding hot tea slowly. They seemed to drink it even slower as Professor Trelawney started reading terrifying predictions from the tea leaves from other students. She reached their table as they drank down the last of the liquid. Rey nearly whined in protest. She had hoped that the professor would forget their table altogether, but here she was.

Rey looked over at Ben, who was staring intensely at Professor Trelawney. Rey saw how tightly he gripped onto his teacup, fingers white against the cup. He gripped it so hard that Rey was sure he’d shatter the teacup. _Is he that afraid?_ Rey thought. It wasn’t a surprising thought as she remembered what he told her on the train about his family. What if Trelawny read something in his tea leaves about his parents being right, about him being evil? True or not, Rey was sure she’d punch Trelawny square in the face if she did.

Rey had just as much reason to be afraid, but she offered her teacup to Trelawney before the professor could ask for Ben’s. Trelawny took the teacup and peered inside of it. Even so, Ben didn’t seem to relax. Trelawny sighed sadly. “Oh, child…”

Rey sat up straight in alarm. “What?”

“You have a love omen. Quite a rare case at such young ages, but when it happens, it suggests a strong love, one of which you will surely have,” Trelawney explained. “You will find belonging in the right person on the wrong side, and it will tear both of you apart inside. A painful love, my dear.”

Rey’s insides ran cold. Professor Trelawney gave the teacup back to Rey, sympathy in her eyes. “But…” Rey began, trying to find words for the countless thoughts beginning to run through her head. “Will… will it end well?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t see that. I only saw what I just told you.”

Trelawney was already turning her attention to Ben, but Rey wouldn’t let her go so easily after dropping those words. Rey shot her arm forward and offered the teacup back desperately. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she needed to know more. “Look again,” she demanded. Rey tried to sound confident, but she could hear the shakiness in her voice.

Trelawny looked at her pitifully. “I’m sorry, child. It is what I saw and the only thing I saw.”

“There has to be something else--” Rey began, not wanting to accept what she’d just heard.

“There isn’t,” Trelawney interrupted, her voice stern and serious now.

Rey exhaled in defeat and set her teacup down on the table. Trelawny took Ben’s teacup and Rey could hear his breath hitch from beside her. Rey remained silent, head still spinning with what Trelawny told her.

“Oh, dear boy…” Trelawny said as she looked into Ben’s teacup. Trelawny looked up at Ben then, fear in her eyes. Ben’s face fell suddenly and Rey realized it was the same eyes his family looked at him with. “... I suppose it is better not to say…”

“What is it?” Ben asked through gritted teeth, anger laced in his voice.

“Your family’s fear will be your downfall,” Trelawny said. “You will walk down a dark and dangerous path because of it… I wish to not say anything more… So much agony and darkness…”

Waves of pain and anguish washed over Ben’s expression. Rey was sure she’d punch Trelawney for saying anything of the sort to Ben, but she was stunned with disbelief. Some things were better left unsaid and a professor, of all people, should know that. Trelawney walked away as if she hadn’t hurt a student's feelings terribly with some tea leaves, as if she wasn’t striking fear in any of the students. Trelawney turned her attention to the table where Harry Potter sat. Rey, fuming with anger, opened her mouth to say something rather unkind about Trelawney’s teaching methods when she was interrupted by the sound of glass breaking.

Even though Neville Longbottom had been breaking teacups during the entire class, everyone’s heads turned in the direction of the sound, Rey included. Beside her, Rey saw Ben’s teacup shattered underneath his hand. There were gashes all over his palm from the broken porcelain, blood spilling from the wounds. His face was blank and somehow, Rey found it more terrifying than if he was angry. Silently, he stood from his seat and walked to the trapdoor. He paid no attention to anyone as he descended.

Rey turned to look at Professor Trelawney, eyes shooting daggers her way. Despite her anger, tears formed in her eyes for her best friend. Without a word, Rey followed after him, not caring for the consequences.

“Ben, wait!” Rey called, running after him. When she caught up to him, she could see how upset he was. He was angry, that was clear, but she saw more sadness in his face than anything else. “Don’t listen to her. I’m sure everything she said was a lie.”

As she said the words, Rey wasn’t sure if they were true. She hoped they were. Rey wasn’t entirely sure what the professor said about her even meant, but she knew it wasn’t good. A painful love that would tear her and her lover apart inside? Not good, and something Rey didn’t want. Rey had gone through enough pain and heartache to last a lifetime. She didn’t need any more of it.

Ben stayed silent, walking as if she weren’t even there. Desperate to get him to say something, _anything_ , Rey took his wounded hand carefully. “Here, let me see,” she said, and he finally stopped before her. She held his palm open and examined the wounds. She could see the glimmer of leftover glass inside. “We need to go to Madam Pomfrey for this. The cuts are rather deep and there’s still glass--”

Ben yanked his hand away angrily. “I don’t want to.”

“You don’t want to?” Rey questioned in astonishment.

“It’ll heal on its own,” Ben said as he continued walking, leaving Rey behind.

Rey stared after him as he kept walking, unsure of what to do. It was obvious that he was upset and that was why he was acting this way. She knew this reaction first hand because it was what she excelled at. Become afraid and isolate yourself. Rey felt as if she was an expert at it from all the years she’d done in fear of being abandoned again and here was Ben doing it to her. _Curse Trelawney for that_ , Rey thought, before following behind Ben.

“It won’t,” Rey said. “At least let me help you--”

Ben whirled on her and he got so close to her so quickly that it would’ve felt like a threat to anyone else, but not to her. “I don’t want your help!”

Rey stared up at him, unfazed and eyes narrowed. Ben stared back at her but his face was sympathetic, realizing what he’d just done. He took a deep breath and stepped back from her. He looked down at the ground in shame. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Rey crossed her arms and scoffed. Ben looked up at her, visibly puzzled by her actions. “What?”

“You!” Rey yelled in frustration. “When are you going to realize that we’re in this together? Did you think what happened on the train was nothing?”

Ben stared at her for a moment. “Why are you even still my friend after what she said? ‘ _A dark and dangerous path_ ’?”

“I don’t care about that.”

“You don’t care about that?” he asked, looking away once again. He laughed bitterly even though his eyes glittered with tears.

“No, I don’t care about that,” she said and she meant it. “We’re best friends, until the end, no matter what, remember? I don’t take vows lightly.” He met her eyes. “Unless you want to take it back?”

“No,” Ben said. “Of course I don’t.”

“Okay,” Rey said, “then what?”

“If what she said is true…”

“It’s not!”

“ _If_ it is, Rey,” Ben said softly, urging her to listen. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I can take care of myself, Ben,” she said. “Besides, could you hurt me?” Ben was silent, thinking, but Rey knew the answer. “Exactly, so this conversation is over.” She took his unwounded hand. “Now, you’re going to let me take you to Madam Pomfrey.”

* * *

Madam Pomfrey took out all the residue glass with a flick of her wand. She poured a couple of drops of liquid into Ben’s wounds, causing him to wince in pain. As Madam Pomfrey left to attend a student who had gotten injured during Potions class, Rey and Ben watched curiously as his wounds slowly began to close.

“What’re we going to do about Professor Trelawney’s class?” Ben asked. “Surely we can’t just stop showing up?”

“No,” Rey agreed, “but we can talk to Dumbledore.” At Ben’s unamused face, Rey added, “Or I could write a letter to your parents about the incident. Dumbledore respects them and I’m sure they won’t be happy to hear what she had to say about either of us.”

“You don’t think what she said was true, do you?” Ben asked her.

“Of course not,” Rey replied. “We can be in charge of our own destiny.”

“Yes, but we can’t control what happens to us,” Ben said, still unconvinced.

“No, but we can control how we react to what happens to us. We choose the paths we take,” Rey said, more for him than for her. If she did have a painful love, she was sure that was entirely out of her control alone. She pushed the thought away. “Ben, I’m sure everything she said was just false readings.”

Ben looked back down at his hand to find it fully healed. His eyes were on his palm, but Rey could tell his mind was somewhere else. “Maybe you’re right,” he finally said.

Oh, how wrong they were.


	5. Fear Incarnate

For days after their first Divination class, Rey could barely sleep. She would toss and turn in her bed in the dormitory, hoping she’d fall asleep before her mind got to thinking. She never got far as her mind would quickly jump back to what Professor Trelawney said: _You will find belonging in the right person on the wrong side, and it will tear both of you apart inside._ Rey knew she should take it with a grain of salt since so many readings never came true, but she couldn’t help but be afraid.

Rey had never felt as if she belonged anywhere with anyone, but she always hoped that someday she would finally have that belonging. With this reading, she would find it, but it would only cause her pain. Rey’s hope felt crushed knowing those words and she couldn’t imagine what Ben was feeling with his own. She hoped he believed her when she said it was a lie. Knowing him, though, she doubted he did.

Rey didn’t feel entirely alone with her and Ben’s readings as other students were given dreadful readings as well. Harry Potter himself had been given the omen of death, the Grim. Rose was told someone close to her would die in the coming years and to cherish her time with everyone around her. Poe was told he’d fall in love with the wrong person. Finn, who later attended the class that same day, was told he would come to love someone whom he didn’t expect. While Finn’s didn’t seem all that bad, Rey was rather comforted that she and Ben weren’t the only ones that received quite awful readings, as vile as it sounded. 

It didn’t make things any easier for them when Han and Leia replied to Rey’s letter saying that there was, unfortunately, nothing Dumbledore could do about Divination. Rey and Ben needed the class credit. Han and Leia were very sympathetic and understanding and advised them to take everything Professor Trelawney said lightly.

Just as they thought they were getting past the Divination fiasco, Rey, Rose, Poe, and Ben attended their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the term. Professor Lupin told the class to put all their books back in their bags, saying the lesson for the day would be a practical one and they would only need their wands. Confused, the class obeyed and followed Lupin out of the room, through corridors, and into a staffroom. The staffroom was a long, paneled room with an old looking wardrobe at the end of it. As Professor Lupin stepped near it, the wardrobe gave a surprising lurch as something moved inside of it.

Rey jumped backward in alarm, slamming into someone behind her. Hands found her elbows and stabilized her. Rey looked to see that it was Ben, looking as tired as ever with dark shadows underneath his eyes. Rey thought of all the sleepless nights she’d had since that first Divination class and her heart ached for her friend. He would’ve smiled at her, she knew, but his face remained somber as he returned his attention to the wardrobe.

“Nothing to worry about,” Professor Lupin said. “There’s a boggart in there. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what _is_ a boggart?”

Hermione Granger raised her hand. “It’s a shape-shifter,” she answered. “It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most.”

Rey froze, her eyes wide with fear. _Not again_ , she thought. She felt Ben tense up behind her and she saw the stricken faces of her fellow classmates matching her own. 

Professor Lupin continued to explain that the charm that repels a boggart is simple, but requires force of mind. He explained that laughter is what really finishes a boggart and what they needed to do was force it to assume the shape they find amusing. “We will practice the charm without wands first,” he said. “After me… _Riddikulus_!”

“ _Riddikulus_!” said the class in unison.

Professor Lupin was pleased and asked Neville Longbottom to come forward, who approached the front of class hesitantly. Lupin asked what he was most afraid of to which Neville shyly answered Professor Snape. Nearly everyone laughed, except Ben, Rey, Rose, and Poe. After a series of questions about his grandmother, Professor Lupin asked Neville to picture his grandmother’s clothes. Lupin guided Neville with what was about to happen: the boggart would assume the form of Professor Snape, Neville would have to say the incantation, and then focus on picturing his grandmother’s clothes. The boggart should remain as Snape and turn to wear Neville’s grandmother’s clothes. 

Professor Lupin warned the class, explaining that the boggart would shift his attention to everyone else in turn. He asked them to take a moment to think of what scared them the most and think of how they might make it look comical. The room went quiet as students began to think. 

_What scares me the most in the world?_ The question felt like a joke to Rey. She knew her biggest fear was being left behind, abandoned, a fear directly resulting from her parents. _What would that even look like?_ Rey wondered. _And how could I ever make that funny?_ Rey didn’t want to face it. Instead, she wanted to run away, but she knew she couldn’t.

Rey thought of Ben, so close behind her, and the fear that was surely also running through him. She knew he felt the same, wanting to run away and escape as she did. She wondered what he was most afraid of. Of course, his fear must be directly associated with his parents and their own fear for him, but what would that look like?

“Everyone ready?” Professor Lupin asked. Professor Lupin advised them all to step back, so the class retracted back against the walls, leaving poor Neville alone against the wardrobe. “On the count of three, Neville,” said Professor Lupin with his own wand pointing at the wardrobe’s handle. “One -- two -- three -- _now_!”

Rey saw as the wardrobe’s handle turned violently at Lupin’s spell. The wardrobe burst open, revealing Professor Snape. “ _R-R-Riddikulus_!” Neville said, his voice squeaky and shaky. There was a crack and suddenly Snape was wearing an odd assortment of women’s clothing. There was laughter and then another student was urged forward.

Soon enough, it was Rey’s turn. Rey clutched her wand in her hand, heart racing with fear. She didn’t know how she was going to do this, but she had no other choice. Rey took a deep breath, attempting to steady her breathing, and put on a brave face. 

There was a sickening crack and before Rey was none other than Unkar Plutt, the physical embodiment of her fear. Rey’s heart stopped and she was left staring as tears began to form in her eyes. _No,_ she thought helplessly. 

“Come here, child!” Plutt yelled in anger. He approached her and Rey stepped back, gripping her wand tightly. It felt like she was back there, at the orphanage all over again. She felt like the same helpless child she was at five, not understanding what was happening as her parents walked farther and farther away from her, never to return...

“ _Riddikulus_!” Rey yelled quickly, wishing it to be over. Suddenly, Unkar Plutt was reduced to the size of a small animal. Her knees were shaking and Rey was sure she’d fall to her knees. Even though she defeated the boggart, she felt crushed. Everything was rushing back at her again like it did on the train. All the locked away memories began hurtling back over her and Rey found it difficult to hold back the tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks. Rey didn’t know how she did it but she stepped aside, blinking away her tears as her fear began to ebb.

_Ben_. In an instant, Rey remembered he was behind her as he stepped forward. Rey watched in horror as the tiny Unkar Plutt turned into an older Ben dressed in stygian robes, eyes dark with malicious intent. Older Ben had his wand raised at Ben and he walked forward threateningly. Older Ben was _smiling_ , Rey realized and the image made her sick to her stomach. “ _Avada Kedavra_!” Older Ben yelled and there was a flash of green light, bathing the entire room in its evil luminescence. 

Rey screamed along with the rest of the class and before Rey could register what was happening, the boggart crashed back into the wardrobe and the door was shut, trapping it back inside. Professor Lupin was in front of Ben, shielding him, with his wand aimed at the wardrobe. Ben was on the ground, his elbows beneath him as he stared at where Older Ben had been. Ben was trembling and his chest rose and fell rapidly with his labored breathing. Rey noticed he’d dropped his wand where he was standing previously just moments before. 

Seeing him in such a state made a multitude of emotions wash over Rey. She wanted to scream in frustration, hold Ben close to her, and cry all at once, but she couldn't move. Most of all, she simply wished none of this was happening to Ben. He didn't deserve it; no one did.

Professor Lupin turned slowly and lowered his wand. His eyes lingered on Ben cautiously before returning his gaze to the rest of the class. “Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me to be handed in on Monday…” Professor Lupin said calmly, but Rey could tell he was obviously shaken by what he’d seen. “That will be all.”

The class began to leave the staffroom in deafening silence. They’d all seen the same thing. Ben as an older Dark wizard delivering one of the three Unforgivable Curses, the Killing Curse. She was sure it put everyone into the same state of shock she was in. 

“Rey, come on,” Rose whispered in a fearful voice, tugging at Rey’s sleeve but Rey kept her eyes on Ben.

“But Ben--” Rey started to walk toward Ben, but Professor Lupin stopped her.

“Rey, go on, please,” Professor Lupin said. “I’d like a word with Ben alone.”

Rey wanted to object, but she knew better. With a solemn nod, she turned to Rose and Poe who were waiting for her in the doorway. Rose and Poe stepped out before her. Rey stopped at the staffroom entrance, laying her hand on the doorsill as she stole one last glance at her best friend. His head was turned slightly in her direction, his eyes on the ground. Rey didn’t want to leave him but she had no other choice. Rey’s eyes met Lupin’s and he nodded at her as if saying, _He’ll be okay._

Rey finally stepped out into the corridor as she shut the staffroom door behind her. Every part of her being was drawing back against her, back toward Ben. Rey resisted the temptation to run back into the room as she proceeded to follow Rose and Poe, who didn’t say a word. As she followed close behind her friends, Rey surrendered to the gnawing ache in her chest and allowed silent tears to stream down her cheeks, each one carrying the pain and fear of her and her best friend and all the circumstances she knew they didn't deserve.

Rey thought back to Lupin’s nod and what she felt it said, and to it, she thought back: _I hope so._


	6. The Quidditch Final

Despite the terrifying event of Ben’s boggart, Defense Against the Dark Arts soon became everyone’s favorite class. The Slytherins were the only ones who seemed to despise it, but surprisingly, not Ben. Rey didn’t know what happened that day after she shut the staffroom door on Ben and Lupin, but she guessed that whatever happened was good. Rey would often find Ben grinning gratefully at the teacher, and Lupin returning the look.

Rey believed that with time she would know what occurred, but for now, she’d keep her curiosity to herself. She didn’t want to ask Ben and bring up a surge of memories. 

Professor Trelawney’s classes were never as grim as the first and yet, Rey couldn’t help but dread the class. Trelawney’s eyes would always fill with tears when she looked at Rey, Ben, and Harry. She kept her eyes off them for the most part, but Rey was sure that was only so she wouldn’t have an emotional breakdown in the middle of class. Even when her eyes weren’t on them, Rey noticed how sad her eyes grew when they landed on Rose and Poe. Rey found it quite annoying, as the looks she gave them only reminded them of the heartbreaking readings she’d given them.

Rey’s spirits soon lifted as the Quidditch season approached. Rey was ecstatic when Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor team, called a meeting to discuss tactics. Soon enough, training had come and Rey arrived at each one, punctual as always, three evenings a week. Rey was as joyful as ever to finally be playing the sport again. Where the other Gryffindor Quidditch players were exhausted and sluggish, Rey was a fire of light and life soaring in the sky.

Quidditch was her escape. It always had been. Up in the air, she felt free and truly alive. The second she stepped onto the field, whether for training or a game, she could leave behind all of her other responsibilities and worries and focus on something she felt passionate about. It also helped that she was incredibly competitive, which made her a favored player.

October came and their trip to Hogsmeade had arrived. Hogsmeade was a dreamland of sweets, and Rey had the time of her life. She spent her time in Hogsmeade alongside Ben as Rose, Poe, and even Finn seemed even more uneasy about Ben after the boggart incident, but Rey didn’t let that get in the way of their friendship. She was sure that with time they’d grow to become his friend, or so she hoped. She couldn’t deny the rivalry between the two houses and how much they hated each other. Rey could only hope her Gryffindor friends would look past the Slytherin stereotype and look at Ben instead. 

At Hogsmeade, Rey indulged in all the sweets she could with Ben. He laughed as she tried all the candy she’d never known, recommending delicious and awful ones alike. He had a particularly great time watching her facial expressions and reactions as she ate Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. They drank Butterbeer together and playfully joked about how excited they were to beat each other in the next Quidditch game between Slytherin and Gryffindor.

Rey cherished these moments of laughing with Ben and seeing him smile. It was rare to see such a thing and she could almost pretend that they were normal kids with normal lives. As normal as being a witch and wizard was, anyway. Normal with no trauma or haunting past. Normal fears of being terrified of spiders or heights or the dark, not abandonment or becoming darkness itself. She could pretend, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

When the first Quidditch game arrived for Gryffindor, Rey was elated. It was Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff and she flew alongside her Quidditch players in competitive grace. She stole glances at the Slytherin tower when she could, eyes searching for Ben. She could never find him so far up, but she could always sense his eyes on her, a smile on his face as he cheered her on. Knowing he was there rooting for her gave her strength and allowed her to push past the threshold of what she thought she could do.

Unfortunately, there was a situation. Dementors arrived at the field and Harry Potter, their Seeker, fainted. Diggory, Seeker of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, retrieved the Snitch instead. 

The Gryffindor team was disappointed, to say the least, but Rey didn’t let the grim defeat wear her down. She vowed to play even harder next time and practiced even more diligently than she usually did during training, even going as far as training with Ben when the field was empty. 

In the end, the extra hours became more than worth it as the Gryffindor team beat Ravenclaw in their next match. Even with the small incident of Malfoy and his two lapdogs dressing up as dementors to scare Harry and maybe even possibly Rey, the Gryffindors were happy to have won. The entire Gryffindor common room was bursting with cheers and celebration for hours afterward, basking in the victory of their team.

The most important game was soon upon them: the Quidditch final. It would be the deciding match of which team would win the Quidditch Cup. Gryffindor hadn’t won in seven years, so Rey and her fellow players were more than determined to win, as were the Slytherins. The tension between the two houses seemed to have grown to a near breaking point in the weeks leading up to the climactic match.

Rey had barely eaten a single thing the day of the match when Oliver Wood was ushering the Gryffindor Quidditch players out of the Great Hall. Rose and Finn wished Rey and Poe good luck and smiled happily as they walked off. Rey caught Ben’s eye across the hall as he was being led off with his team and he smiled playfully at her, friendly competition beneath his bright smile. Rey smiled back mischievously, the same friendly rivalry hidden beneath her own grin.

Rey went into the Gryffindor locker rooms with her team and they all tugged on their scarlet Quidditch robes nervously. It was rare for Rey to get nervous before a Quidditch game, but she couldn’t deny the shakiness rattling through her. This game meant so much to Oliver Wood, to her Gryffindors, to her team… she couldn’t let them down.

When Rey walked onto the Quidditch field, she was greeted with thunderous applause. She gripped her broom in her hand and thought inexplicably of Unkar Plutt and her parents. Tears burned in her eyes at the thought, but she felt strength and courage rush through her. _All that pain… it’s led me right where I needed to be,_ she thought. _Right where I’m meant to be._

The Slytherin team arrived on the field. Rey’s eyes found Ben’s instantly. “Captains, shake hands!” Madam Hooch said. Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other’s hands. Rey felt the heavy tension between them as they looked into each other’s eyes.

“Mount your brooms!” Madam Hooch yelled. Rey’s heart raced with anticipation. “Three… two… one…”

The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar of the crowd as several brooms launched into the air. Rey felt a lurch of passion in her chest and determination blazed in her eyes. Rey shot forward on her broom and the Quaffle was in Katie Bell’s hand, a Gryffindor Chaser. Rey followed protectively behind her, ready to snatch the Quaffle if a Slytherin attacked. As expected, Rey saw as the Quaffle was intercepted by a Slytherin.

Rey positioned herself to move forward and take the Quaffle for herself when the Bludger rammed right into the Slytherin. He dropped the Quaffle and Rey took it in her hand. Rey saw flaming red hair as she soared past. “Good one, George!” she yelled, hoping she put the name to the right twin. 

Rey zoomed away as Slytherin Chasers advanced on her, but her attention was fixated on the Slytherin goalposts. The wind whipped at the three buns atop her head, tearing them away from their fixed place. A Slytherin tried to come at Rey headfirst, but there was a blur of scarlet beside her that attacked in her defense. “Rey, go!” Poe yelled as he cut the Slytherin’s pathway to her short.

Rey glanced back at him and Rey could see another Slytherin behind her: Ben Solo. She smiled and faced forward again, quickly approaching the Slytherin goalposts. Heart hammering in her chest, Rey clutched the Quaffle in her hand before launching it towards a goal. It soared into it and the Gryffindors burst into applause. “SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!”

Rey smiled in delight as she looked back at Ben, before flying off. Rey flew past the Gryffindors as they chanted, “REY! REY! REY!” Pride swelled in her chest at the recognition and redness flamed her cheeks. 

Katie Bell had the Quaffle now. Rey raced behind her defensively. A Slytherin snatched the Quaffle momentarily before Katie seized it back just in time to throw it into a Slytherin goalpost. “THIRTY-ZERO FOR GRYFFINDOR!”

Flint took possession of the Quaffle. Katie, Rey, and Poe raced to intercept, but Flint scored. Cheers erupted from the Slytherins. _Thirty-ten,_ Rey thought. _We can work with that._

Rey was horrified at the means the Slytherins were taking to get the Quaffle, but the Gryffindors were retaliating with the same force. A Slytherin hit Katie with his club, his excuse being he mistook her for a Bludger. George Weasley elbowed the said Slytherin. Both teams were given penalties. 

Wood, Gryffindor Captain and Keeper, pulled off a save and made the score forty-ten to Gryffindor. Poe scored. Fifty-ten. Fred and George Weasley flew around Poe protectively. Two Slytherins took advantage of this and attacked Wood by hitting him with two Bludgers. Wood rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded. Rey yelled in rage for her captain.

Madam Hooch’s anger matched Rey’s. “YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!” she yelled. “Gryffindor penalty!”

Rey scored next, making the score sixty-ten. Moments later, Ben got his hands on the Quaffle. Rey flew toward him. Fred Weasley pelted a Bludger at him, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands. Rey seized it from below Ben and launched it through the Slytherin goal -- seventy-ten. Rey caught sight of Ben’s enraged face as she flew past.

Rey looked around and laid her eyes on Harry Potter, the Gryffindor Seeker. He soared high above the field with Malfoy speeding along behind him. _Come on, Harry,_ Rey thought. Gryffindor was sixty points in the lead. If Harry caught the Snitch now, the Cup was theirs.

Rey flew around the field, searching for whoever had the Quaffle now. “Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I’ve never seen such tactics!” Rey heard Madam Hooch yelling. Rey looked around to see what was happening, her eyes landing on Harry and Malfoy high above. Malfoy had been holding onto Harry’s broom tail and pulling it back to prevent him from grabbing the Snitch. At Madam Hooch’s chastising, Malfoy slid back onto his broom.

Katie Bell took Gryffindor’s penalty in annoyance. 

Ben had the Quaffle now. Rey raced close behind him, determination alight in her eyes. Just as Rey was ready to intercept, Ben dodged an incoming Gryffindor. Rey shrieked, taken off-guard, as she tried to miss the hit. Poe crashed into her with a grunt. Rey tumbled, but she clawed at her broom in desperation and miraculously managed to remain upright. Anger coursed through her as she watched Ben make the score seventy-twenty to Gryffindor.

“Screw off, Poe! I had him!” Rey screamed. 

Rey took the Quaffle in her hand and raced toward the Slytherin goalposts. Suddenly, she was surrounded by Slytherins on every side. Ben raced alongside her, his teeth gritted and fingers white where they gripped his broomstick. They were going to block her, she knew, but she wouldn’t be intimidated. Rey held the Quaffle tighter against her side as she soared closer and closer to the Slytherin goalposts.

Rey had no idea how she was going to maneuver her way out of this one, but she’d figure it out. She _had_ to. There was a scream from above her and Rey was surprised to see none other than Harry Potter zooming toward the Slytherins. The Slytherins scattered, attempting not to be hit, and opened the way to the goalpost. Rey smiled and threw the Quaffle with all the strength in her. The Quaffle made it through. 

“SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor leads by eighty points to twenty!”

Rey watched as Harry stopped in the middle of the field. Rey could see Malfoy diving, the Snitch a few feet above the grass below. Harry was flying toward Malfoy quickly. A Slytherin attempted to hit Harry with a Bludger, but Harry had flattened himself against his broom. Rey held her breath as Harry took both his hands off his broom, smacked Malfoy’s arm away, and pulled out of the dive. He held his hand in the air and Rey was screaming. 

Harry Potter caught the Snitch. 

Wood sped toward him, tears in his eyes, as he seized Harry and pulled him into a hug. Rey and Poe were close behind, joining into the group hug. Katie Bell was there in an instant, joy in her voice as she yelled, “We’ve won the Cup! We’ve won the Cup!” Tangled up in a mess of arms and happy tears, the Gryffindor team sank to the earth.

Waves of crimson supporters met them in loud cheers as their bodies pressed in on them. Rey and the rest of the team were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Rey could see Percy jumping up and down in excitement. Professor McGonagall was sobbing, wiping her tears on a large Gryffindor flag. Rey saw Finn and Rose who seemed speechless but were beaming brightly up at her and Poe. Tears filled her eyes as they laid on Ben, who appeared below her.

Rey laughed against her tears as she reached a hand out to him. Ben grasped her hand and squeezed it encouragingly, smiling up at her. Ben was competitive, that was true, but that didn’t change who his best friend was. His team’s defeat didn’t make him any less happy for his best friend’s victory. 

Rey watched as the enormous Quidditch Cup was placed into Harry’s hands and he raised it into the air in triumph. The Gryffindors cheered, Rey with them, as tears spilled onto her cheeks. She could feel her hand in Ben’s below her and for the first time, Rey felt as if she were truly home. 


	7. A Summer Away

Ben slowly gravitated more towards Rey and her friends as their third year drew to a close. He spent just as much time with his Slytherin friends, but he made some time for Rose, Finn, and Poe as well, which Rey had never seen him do. As odd as the change was to Rey and her friends, she appreciated it. After all, all she wanted was for them to be friends and her hope slowly but surely became a reality. 

Ben bonded with Poe over their shared love of Quidditch, Rose with her knowledge of the Wizarding World and their thirst for more of it, and Finn because of their friendship with Rey. Finn hadn’t been quick to forget what Rey had told him about what Ben had done for her. Finn understood Rose’s and Poe’s wariness in the past, but he’d grown to trust Rey too.

Finn and Poe discussed with Rey and Rose for many weeks before they returned home about spending some time at the Tico’s during the summer and attending the Quidditch World Cup. It was the game nobody wanted to miss and definitely not the quartet -- it was no surprise they wanted to see the game together as they did nearly everything else the same. Ben showed up unannounced during one of these conversations and to Rey’s surprise, Rose had invited Ben immediately with a genuine smile. Poe and Finn only smiled at Rey, as if it had been their secret plan all along to have Ben come with them. Ben jumped at the opportunity and agreed without question.

Rey and Rose spent their summer counting down the days until the boys arrived. 

When the time finally came, Rey and Rose were racing down the Tico’s staircase at the sound of a knock at the door. Rey got to it first and opened it to see Ben’s bright smile. She screamed with excitement as Ben dropped his trunk at the door and wrapped his arms around Rey, nearly knocking her backward with the force. Rey heard Ben’s laugh and she could feel the movement of his chest against her own. Rey could see Finn and Poe behind him and they nearly shoved them over as the two boys ran to embrace Rose. 

Rey pulled away from Ben, taking a moment to look into his eyes. Rey was taken aback by how much Ben seemed to have grown. He’d grown taller, massively so, as he was nearly a head taller than her. His voice had grown deeper from the way he laughed, she noticed. His shoulders were broader and his face looked more defined. She swore she could see something new cross over his eyes as he examined her, probably noticing her differences as well when Finn engulfed her in a massive hug. Ben hugged Rose, but Rey’s gaze lingered over him in question. 

Rey greeted Poe with a hug, smiling into her friend’s shoulder. 

Rose’s parents arrived moments later to greet the boys and show them to the room they’d be sharing during their time there. There was a mortifying conversation given to them by Mr. Tico about making sure no kissing happened. All the boys reddened with embarrassment and Rose immediately stepped in. “Ew, gross, Dad! Go!” 

Rey felt eyes on her and she turned to see that Ben was looking at her with interest. Ben looked away immediately, embarrassed, and Rey looked away with him. Her cheeks grew hot, though she didn’t quite understand why, and pretended she hadn’t seen him looking at her so curiously and differently.

Rey, Rose, Ben, Finn, and Poe sat around the ground of the boys' room late into the night. The room stayed lit by warm lamps around the room. They tried to whisper as best they could to avoid waking the Tico’s downstairs, but sometimes their laughter got the best of them and someone would have to refrain quickly and shush them. They would cover their mouths, trying their best to contain their laughter, though it never lasted long. Rey thought it was a miracle none of the Tico’s came in to tell them to quiet down or order them to sleep.

Rey was relieved to see them all being able to laugh, especially Ben. The darkness of their third year and their readings from Professor Trelawney was something Rey was sure they were still thinking about. Although Rey hadn’t seen what Rose’s, Poe’s, or Finn’s boggart would’ve been, she knew that the readings were haunting enough to think about. The thoughts slipped away from her as their conversations continued into the night.

There was even a moment where Poe playfully challenged Ben by saying he would destroy him at Quidditch that year. Ben disagreed and hit Poe. Poe laughed and fired back a hit. Ben paused for a moment, smiling. The moment was long enough for Rey, Rose, and Finn to all agree Poe had made a big mistake. Then Poe and Ben were playfully wrestling on the ground, practically screaming at the other that they were the superior player. Rey, Rose, and Finn were left to laugh and back away when the boys tumbled into their way.

The entire night was spent like that, the five of them acting completely their age. Lost in their youth and hopeful innocence, or so it seemed. One would know if they just looked beyond the surface that it was five children reclaiming something lost from their childhood. A reclaimed, stolen moment.

The five children spent the rest of their days before the Quidditch World Cup wreaking havoc in the Tico home. They raced throughout the house, tagging and tackling each other. They tested spells that went wrong and broke things. They stole broomsticks from a locked closet and soared into the sky, racing each other and playing pretend games of Quidditch. It was the Tico’s nightmare and the children’s dream.

When it was finally time to leave for the Quidditch World Cup, the children were nearly unmanageable with their excitement. Well, except the part where they had to wake up early. Paige was able to sleep in, as she was of age and had passed her Apparition test. Rose found it quite annoying that Paige wasn’t being dragged out of bed so early to go. 

“You know my uncle, Luke?” Ben whispered to Rey. “He’s going to teach me to Apparate next summer. The old man is good for something, after all, besides being terrified of me.”

Rey stifled a dark laugh. “Wait, so he teaches you things beyond your age? Or will?” Rey whispered back as Rose continued to argue with her parents over how unfair it was that Paige would be Apparating.

“Yeah,” Ben replied, running a hand through his dark hair. “My parents…” He trailed off, as if uncertain if he should mention anything. His expression quickly changed from carefree to serious. “... they’re super busy at the Ministry, so they’re rarely home. That doesn’t change when I’m home during the summer, so they send me to stay with Luke.”

“And you learn all summer?” Rey wasn’t surprised. Ben was an excellent student and he seemed to do every assignment with such ease. It would only make sense that he studied all summer.

“Pretty much,” Ben answered. “He’s encouraging me to follow in the footsteps of my parents, you know, by doing something in the Ministry after Hogwarts. In reality, he’s just scared I’m going to go in an entirely different direction…”

Rey looked back at Ben. His eyes were on his feet and there was a pained look across his soft features. Rey opened her mouth to change the subject when Mrs. Tico said, “Okay, time to go!”

“Uh, where exactly?” Rey questioned.

“We’re using a Portkey, of course,” Poe answered for her as he walked by her out of the Tico’s home. “There’s one at the top of Stoatshead Hill!”

“Yes, the Weasley’s are using that one, too,” Mrs. Tico said. “We’re joining them.”

“A Portkey?” Rey thought the name sounded familiar, but she wasn’t sure.

“When wizards can’t Apparate or don’t want to, they use a Portkey,” Rose explained. “There are hundreds of them all around Britain.”

“And what do they look like?” Rey asked. 

“Things Muggles won’t look twice at, generally,” Rose said. 

Rey nodded in understanding. She had been a part of the Wizarding World for three years and she still felt as if she had so much more to learn. Rey couldn’t understand how anyone could regard the world with nonchalance as her friends did. They were used to it, she knew, as they’d been exposed to it their entire lives. Rey, however, still couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that it was all real and she was a part of it. Rey followed the others out of the Tico’s home. Mr. and Mrs. Tico led the way. Finn, Poe, and Rose were grouped behind them. Ben followed the trio and Rey ran to catch up to Ben. 

Ben looked up at her as she fell into stride beside him. She felt his eyes on her, examining. She turned to him. His eyes were a mix of confusion and curiosity. “What?” she asked.

Rey had noticed Ben had been looking at her differently. She had been looking at him the same way, she knew, but that was because he’d changed. _Have I changed?_ Rey wondered.

“No,” he said suddenly, looking away. He chuckled lightly, glancing back towards the others. He squinted his eyes in the sunlight. “You just… look different.”

So she had changed, and he'd noticed. “Different how?”

“Older,” Ben said. He shook his head. “I don’t know how to explain it. Just… different.”

“You too, you know,” Rey stated.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “You’re taller than me.”

Ben scoffed, offended. It was nearly a laugh. “I’ve always been taller than you!”

“No, you haven’t!” Rey objected. “You’ve always been my height!”

“That’s not true!”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“That’s it?” Ben asked. “Just taller?”

“No,” Rey said. “Your voice doesn’t sound like a little girl’s anymore.”

Ben gasped. “Rey! My voice has _never_ -”

“It has!” Rey argued again, stifling a laugh. “Trust me, I’ve been the one stuck talking to you for nearly two years!”

Ben shook his head, clearly disagreeing. “Fine! Is that all?”

“Hm.” Rey looked over at him to assess anything else she might have missed before. Ben looked back at her, eyes skimming over her face. Rey never paid attention to Ben’s physicality at all, let alone his face. As she studied him, she slowly began to realize that he was… attractive. Rey inhaled sharply at the thought and tore her eyes away from him. 

“So nothing?”

“No, just… older,” Rey answered, not meeting his eyes. “Different.”

To Rey’s relief, the conversation was cut short as they began ascending the hill. They stumbled on rabbit holes and slipped on thick grass. Rey’s legs ached with the effort of climbing the hill, sweat building on her brow. Rey was huffing and puffing when they finally reached the top and doubled over with her hands on her knees to catch a breather. Rey shut her eyes, grateful that the throbbing in her legs was dulling. 

“There they are!” Rey heard Mr. Tico yell. 

Rey stood up straight and she could see figures on the other side of the hilltop in the distance. They approached, more slowly than before from the grueling climb. The Weasleys greeted them along with Amos Diggory, who was carrying an old boot in his hand. The adults introduced the kids with them. 

Mr. Tico introduced the redheads -- Ron, Fred, and George -- as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley’s children. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger came next. Rey was familiar with them as they were in the same house and had been for nearly three years. Mr. Tico then introduced Amos’ son, Cedric. He followed by introducing Rose as his and Mrs. Tico’s daughter, then moved on to introduce Finn, Poe, Rey, and Ben as friends.“I’m guessing you know each other already, though?” Mr. Tico asked the children.

“Yeah,” Cedric said. He looked at Rey. “You. I saw you play at the Quidditch Final last year. You’re an exceptional Chaser, as good as Harry is a Seeker himself. I wish you’d been put into Hufflepuff instead. We could use a player like you.”

Rey’s cheeks reddened. “Oh! Uh… thanks.” 

Rey knew she was a good Quidditch player from all the compliments she’d received from her peers, but she’d never received the comment from someone as handsome as Cedric. Cedric smiled at her and a new, strange sensation fluttered in her chest. Rey caught sight of Ben and she swore she'd never seen Ben give anyone such an intense stare. Cedric turned to Ben and his face fell upon seeing Ben’s stare. Cedric clenched his jaw and shifted uncomfortably before looking away. Rose looked at Rey in question, clearly seeing the same exchange between the two boys, but Rey could only offer a shrug in response.

“Well, we’d better get going,” Mr. Weasley said. They all agreed and Mr. Weasley turned to Harry, Hermione, and Rey. “You just need to touch the Portkey, that’s all, a finger will do--”

With great difficulty, they all crowded around the old boot Amos Diggory was holding out. They stood there in silent anticipation for what was coming. “Three…” Mr. Weasley muttered, an eye on his watch, “two… one…”

It happened suddenly and all at once. Rey felt as if she were being pulled harshly forward by an invisible rope tied around her waist. Rey’s feet left the ground and she could feel Ben and Rose closing in beside her, their shoulders pressing into hers. They were soaring forward in a whirlwind of spinning color and roaring wind. Rey’s feet slammed into the ground and her head spun with what had just happened. It stopped as quickly as it had begun and Rey had trouble processing that it wasn’t all in her head.

Ben staggered beside her and stumbled into her, knocking her down. Ben’s weight was crushing over hers and she was relieved when he held himself up over her, his breath ragged from what they’d all just experienced. His eyes found hers and her heart rate quickened, though she was confused as to why that was. His lips parted ever so slightly and Rey couldn’t help noticing. Rey quickly became aware of the short distance between their bodies, how closely his body hovered over hers, how beautiful his features looked--

Rey’s thoughts were cut short as Mrs. Tico arrived next to them. “Are you okay?” 

Ben got up suddenly and awkwardly. “Fine.”

Rey sat up and stood to her feet, avoiding Ben’s eyes. “Yeah, fine.”

It seemed as if everyone had fallen except for Mr. Weasley, Amos Diggory, and Cedric. Mrs. Tico turned to make sure everyone else was okay. Ben and Rey looked at each other but they both quickly turned away, flustered. Before Rey could think about the confusing incident that had happened between them, a voice spoke.

“Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill,” said a voice.

They seemed to have arrived at a large stretch of land. The voice belonged to one of the two grumpy-looking wizards before them. One wizard was holding a gold watch as if counting down the minutes before he could abandon his post and go home. The other was holding a piece of parchment and quill. They both looked exhausted. 

Mr. Weasley greeted them and they showed the three families on their separate ways to their tents. They walked through what seemed like miles upon miles of tents before they arrived at an empty slot of green grass. There was a wooden plank hammered into the grass before it engraved with “Tico”. 

“No magic allowed on Muggle land,” Mr. Tico said, looking over the children. “You know what that means.”

The children groaned in unison but obeyed. They all worked together to set up the tent Mr. Tico had brought along. Rey and Ben had no idea what they were doing, but the others guided them along well enough. When the tent was set up, it looked smaller than Rey’s room back at the Jakku Orphanage, a room she shared with three others. Rey doubted no more than four people would be able to fit in it.

Rey ducked into the tent and was amazed to find it wasn’t the same as it was on the outside. The interior of the tent was as large as the Solo-Organa’s first floor. There was a living room, a kitchen, and three different rooms. Mr. and Mrs. Tico addressed which rooms were whose and allowed the children to settle in. 

The rest of the day seemed to drag on forever as they waited. They paced impatiently, silently buzzing with contained excitement. They grew so bored that they resorted to laying around the tent in odd positions, hoping the time would go faster.

A deep, booming gong finally sounded in the distance and the five children sat up suddenly. “That’s it!” Rose yelled, looking around at her four friends. “It’s time!”

Mrs. Tico yelled after them to slow down but the five children tumbled out of the tent and into the night to see green and red lanterns shining brightly as they formed a pathway down to the field. The five children looked around at each other with smiles. “Race you!” Rey challenged.

Before any of the others could agree, Ben was racing forward ahead of them into the crowd. “Hey!” Rey yelled as she broke into a sprint after him, shoving past people. “Not fair!” Rey could hear the laughter of Rose, Finn, and Poe close behind her. Farther behind, she could hear Mrs. Tico yelling after the rebellious crew.

Ben got to the stadium before any of the others. Rey arrived second and had to take a seat on the ground to catch her breath. Rose, Finn, and Poe arrived shortly after. It took even longer for the Tico’s to arrive. The children remained silent as Mrs. Tico chastised them for running off. Even with the constant scolding they received from Mrs. Tico, Rey knew they’d never stop being the troublesome party they were. 

The Quidditch World Cup only reminded Rey of her love of Quidditch. It made her eager to get on a broomstick back at Hogwarts and win all the victories her team could. Rey was on the edge of her seat the entire game, anticipating every move. Her voice grew hoarse from all the yelling and cheering she participated in. She wasn’t particularly on a certain side when it came to the game because she was so invested in the way the players played -- it was unlike any Quidditch game she’d ever seen and she dreamed of being able to play the sport with such zeal and fierceness. 

Ireland won and the five children were going off the handle with their happiness. The Tico’s never looked more exhausted to be dealing with them. Thankfully for them, the children were fast asleep soon from the game draining all their energy. Their sleep didn’t last long.

“Rey, get up! Rey!”

Rey jolted awake to see Ben above her, eyes stricken with fear. “What? What’s going on?” Her voice was groggy and tiredness clung heavily to her bones. 

“No time!” Ben yelled. “We have to go!”

Rey could hear screaming. She sat up quickly and turned to the bed across from hers to find it empty. Rey stood, running out of the room in a panic to find Rose. Relief flooded through her as her eyes landed on Rose just a few feet away, speaking frantically with her parents. Paige was nowhere to be seen. Finn and Poe were waiting nervously by the tent’s entrance. 

“What’s going on?” Rey asked.

The Tico’s turned to her and Ben in the doorway. “Listen… you have to run. Towards the forest. We’re going to help the Ministry. You have to go!” Mr. Tico was saying. It was all so much at once that Rey was shaking her head in disbelief. 

“Where’s Paige?” Even though Paige only offered annoyance towards her and Rose as any big sister would, Rey still cared for her as she did Rose.

“Don’t worry about her. She Apparated. She’s safe,” Mr. Tico said. He was beginning to get more frantic as he spoke faster. “You need to go now. Go into the forest. Find somewhere to hide until we can find you. Don’t look back. Just go.”

“No, please…” Tears burned at her eyes. “What…?”

“Rey, please,” Mr. Tico whispered. His voice was soft, pleading, like a father begging his daughter to get somewhere she’d be safe. 

“Rey, come on!” Rose yelled at the tent’s entrance with Finn and Poe beside her. Rey blinked her tears away and nodded. She gave a quick hug to Mr. and Mrs. Tico and ran after Rose, Finn, and Poe, Ben at her heels. She wiped the tears from her cheeks as she exited the tent. Rey looked back to see what the commotion was about against Mr. Tico’s orders.

What she saw made her stumble back and fall to the ground. Tents were on fire across the large field and approaching slowly toward them were dark figures clad in black robes and hoods. They had wands pointing upward into the sky, towards four figures high above them. The four figures were struggling against the power being wrought against them and their bodies were being contorted into grotesque shapes. Terror seized Rey -- terror and sickness.

“Rey, come on!” Ben yelled behind her. His hands encircled her and he attempted to drag her to her feet with no success. Rey doubled over on her side and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the ground. Ben grabbed onto her more forcefully and managed to get her to her feet. Rey’s head was hazy with shock, but in an instant, she was knocked back to reality. Rey was running beside Ben, into the darkness of the forest, with her hand clutched in his. 

Rey and Ben lost Rose, Finn, and Poe in the crowd of people screaming and running against them, pushing and shoving past them with such force that they stumbled and fell. They managed to get to somewhat of a quiet place in the forest to hide and wait for the Tico’s to find them. Rey had never been more scared in her life and she trembled against Ben for what seemed like hours, jumping at every snapping branch. They were both sure that at any minute, a wizard would rush through the trees and kill them both. They were so afraid that they didn’t dare speak.

All they did was hold tightly to the other’s hand with their wands clutched in the other, hoping it would all end soon.

There was a shout in the distance of an incantation. Rey and Ben both reacted, turning sharply in the direction the sound came from with their wands raised. Something bright with green light rose from the trees into the sky, swirling in the night sky as it took a horrifying shape. Rey watched as the foul light turned into a skull, a snake protruding from its mouth like a tongue.

Ben gasped beside her and Rey turned to him to see his face pale with horror. “It’s the Dark Mark,” he whispered. “Voldemort’s sign.” 

Rey turned back to look at the Dark Mark and it felt like an omen to her, a promise of the darkness and carnage yet to come. There, as she stood beside Ben staring up at the wickedness above them, Rey felt hopelessness unlike she’d ever known. Rey closed her eyes in defeat and let the tears fall. 


	8. The Unforgivable Curses

The Tico’s found Rey and Ben shortly after the Dark Mark appeared in the sky. Rose, Finn, and Poe were with them and Rey hugged them tightly with tears of relief. Mr. Tico assured them that they were safe, but subjected them to questioning about conjuring the Dark Mark. Mrs. Tico was horrified.

“They’re just kids!” Mrs. Tico yelled at him.

“You don’t think I know that?” Mr. Tico fired back. His attention turned back to the children. “I know you didn’t do it, but I had to ask. Did you see anything at all?”

Rey and Ben shook their heads, too shaken to speak. Mr. Tico nodded and rounded up everyone to go back to their shared tent for the night. He didn’t seem to want to ask too many questions to prevent the children from having to relive the traumatizing events of the night for each question he asked. He told them they’d be able to get a couple more hours of sleep. They would wake up early and travel back to the Tico home by Portkey. Rey was grateful for this, but she couldn’t imagine spending another minute in that field, let alone hours.

Rey didn’t feel safe, even though the Tico’s had assured she was. 

Rey tossed and turned in her bed for an eternity, unable to sleep. Rey could see that Rose was fast asleep from the slow rising and falling of her breath. Rey envied her for being able to rest after what they’d experienced. Rey got so frustrated that she sighed loudly and got out of bed, wrapping her blanket around her small frame. She silently approached the fabric that floated over their room’s entrance when she saw a shadow move in the room beyond. Rey stopped, but she could recognize that head of hair anywhere.

Rey tiptoed out of the room and her eyes landed on Ben sitting at the tent’s entrance. The fabric covering the entrance flowed in the cool wind of the night, but she could still see him clearly. His back was to her, his head looking up toward the night sky. She could see that his knees were pulled up to his chest with his arms wrapped around them. Rey approached him slowly, not wanting to scare him. When she reached the tent’s entrance, she pulled back the fabric to pass through and he looked up at her.

Rey offered a tight smile as she stepped her bare feet in the grass and took a seat beside him. She imitated his seating position and let her chin rest on her arms over her knees. “Couldn’t sleep?” Ben whispered. 

“Not a wink,” Rey replied. 

Rey looked up into the night sky with him and thought of the questions that had been swirling in her mind since the attack occurred. “Ben,” Rey whispered, breaking the silence, “when you said the Dark Mark was You-Know-Who’s sign… what does that mean?”

Rey allowed herself to look at him and she found that his eyes were on the ground now. “You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters always sent the mark up into the sky when they killed people,” Ben answered. 

Rey remembered the four figures in the sky and shuddered. “Death Eaters?”

“It’s what You-Know-Who’s followers call themselves.” Ben was silent for a moment before continuing. “I’m sure we saw some tonight, those who were never caught or escaped Azkaban. I think they thought it would be fun to do what they did…”

Ben’s face was a mix of sadness and pain. Rey refrained from asking any other questions. She knew it wasn’t easy for him to talk about and it wasn’t easy to hear either. She knew he was just as scared as she was and she wished she could carry all his fear on top of her own. He had gone through so much internally and it ached to know this was just an addition to the load of pain and fear he was carrying within himself. 

Rey scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder, wrapping her blanket closer to her. He responded, moving his arm to snake around her and hold her close to his side. Rey closed her eyes and took comfort in the moment of being in the safety of Ben’s arms. “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered. 

Rey chuckled. “Do you believe that?”

“No,” Ben said honestly, “but it won’t kill us to hope so.”

“No, it won’t,” Rey agreed. 

The stars shone brightly above them and they let themselves become completely lost in them. Things were coming, Rey knew. Dark, unspeakable things. But she was here, alive, leaning into Ben’s warmth. They were together, and for now, that would be enough.

* * *

Rey had woken up in her bed in the morning, though she wasn’t sure how she’d gotten there. She must’ve fallen asleep on Ben’s shoulder and he’d carried her to her bed. The thought of him doing it, as insignificant as it seemed, made her smile. 

They arrived back at Stoatshead Hill with the Weasleys by Portkey, bright and early. This time there was no awkward incident between Rey and Ben because they managed to keep themselves upright. The Weasleys and their group said their goodbyes to them as they went on their opposite journeys to their homes. Nobody spoke on the walk back to the Tico home from how exhausted everyone was. Even though Rey had managed to get a few hours of sleep, every step she took was sluggish and dragging. She had to keep rubbing her eyes to try to shake the tiredness with no success.

Paige met them when they stepped onto the Tico property. She ran forward and hugged them all, even Ben, in relief. Rey could see that her eyes were red from crying. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for her the previous night. Mr. Tico must’ve told her to Apparate and she did, having no choice, but for hours she’d been alone in the house. Alone, wondering what was happening to her family. Rey couldn’t stomach the thought of having to endure that. 

The Hogwarts term didn’t start for another week so the children still had some time to cherish their summer. After the events of the Quidditch World Cup, it was hard to. It seemed as if a weighted blanket of anxiety and despair was draped over them, sapping away at their usual carefree attitudes. Silence hung in the Tico’s home that week, which greatly worried Mrs. Tico. She kept encouraging the children to do any of their usual activities to no avail. There was a new tension within them all that they weren’t sure would be shaken.

They boarded the Hogwarts Express on September 1st for their fourth year at Hogwarts. Rey had never seen Mrs. Tico so anxious to see them go, but she couldn’t blame her. Rey knew that they would slowly go back to being who they were in time, but nothing would remove the new layer of innocence stripped from them from what they’d seen and experienced. With every iniquity they were faced with, they were changed ever so slightly and given a new stain of affliction. Every stain seemed to be darker than the last. 

It didn’t help that at the Hogwarts feast it was announced by Dumbledore that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup would be canceled for the year, replaced with the Triwizard Tournament. Rey had been looking forward to the escape Quidditch would provide from the events she’d experienced, and the ones to come, but that was taken away too. Rey would enter to be chosen for the Triwizard Tournament so she could escape in some way, but she wasn’t old enough to enter. She would have no other choice but to let her schoolwork become a distraction. Rey told herself this was a blessing in the disguise of a curse, though she didn’t have much luck convincing herself.

As they seemed to every year, they got a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Mad-Eye Moody. He was unlike anyone Rey had ever seen. Nearly every inch of his face seemed scarred, but what made him frightening was his eyes. One was as any eye, dark and beady, but the other eye was large, protruding from its socket, and electric-blue. Even more terrifying was that the blue eye moved aimlessly, without blinking, independent from the other eye. It even rolled back into his head, showing only white. They didn’t have that class until their first Thursday at Hogwarts, but Rey would never forget it.

The Gryffindor fourth-years were taking the class with the Slytherins and Rey sat happily with Ben. Rose, Finn, and Poe sat together at a separate table. The entire class sat patiently with their copies of _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ open on their desks. They heard Moody’s distinctive clunking steps as he approached the classroom and he entered the room, looking even more strange and terrifying than Rey remembered. She could see his single wooden leg from underneath his robes. 

Moody took one small glance at their desks before saying, “You can put those away. Those books. You won’t need them.”

Rey and Ben paled. The last time they’d heard that in their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class the year previous, they’d been faced with a boggart that took the shape of their biggest fear. It wasn’t a fond memory. Rey and Ben hesitantly put the books back into their bags.

“So -- straight into it,” Moody started. “Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. I’m not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you’re in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. But Professor Dumbledore’s got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you’re up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you’ve never seen? A wizard who’s about to put an illegal curse on you isn’t going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful.”

Rey gulped. Moody paused, eyes glazing over the class. “So…” he continued, “do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by Wizarding Law?”

Several hands rose into the air slowly. Moody pointed at Ron Weasley, who had his hand raised. He was seated beside Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Ron looked nervous. “Er, my dad told me about one… Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?”

“Ah, yes,” Moody said appreciatively. “Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse.”

Moody opened his desk drawer and pulled out a glass jar. Rey could see three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it. He reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand. He held it out slightly so the entire class could see it. Moody pointed his wand at it and muttered, “ _Imperio_!”

The spider leaped from Moody’s hand and landed on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto its hind legs and began to tap dance. Everyone was laughing -- except Rey, Ben, and Moody. It seemed as if they were the only ones who knew the dark history behind the spell, as if they were the only ones who knew why it was called an Unforgivable Curse in the first place. Something with such a vile past couldn’t be made funny, not when you knew the pain it carried.

“Think it’s funny, do you?” Moody growled. “You’d like it, would you, if I did it to you?”

Rey was pleased to hear the laughter in the room die away almost instantly.

“Total control,” Moody continued quietly. The spider balled up and started to roll over repeatedly. “I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats…”

Rey could only stare at the spider, mesmerized in the worst way imaginable. She couldn’t imagine a wizard putting a fellow brother or sister through that, making them do unspeakable things, things they couldn’t keep themselves from doing… Chills crawled down her spine.

“Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse,” Moody said. “Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will. The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I’ll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone’s got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can.”

Rey thought he finished, but suddenly, he barked, “CONSTANT VIGILANCE!” Everyone jumped, but Rey was so startled that her knee slammed up against the desk and she had to hold back a cry of pain. Ben looked over at her in concern and she avoided his eyes in embarrassment.

Moody plucked up the spinning spider and tossed it back into the jar. “Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?”

Two hands raised into the air -- Hermione Granger’s and Neville Longbottom’s. Moody turned his attention to Neville. “Yes?”

“There’s one -- the Cruciatus Curse,” Neville said. His voice was low, almost a whisper, but distinct enough to be understood and heard.

Moody reached back into the jar, picked up another spider, and placed it on his desk. “The Cruciatus Curse,” Moody said. He enlarged the spider with an incantation, making it larger than a tarantula. Then, “ _Crucio_!”

Rey watched in horror as the spider’s legs bent up against its body and started twitching terribly as if having a seizure. No sound came from it, but Rey could see the silent screams emitting from it. Moody didn’t remove his wand and the spider began to shudder and twitch more violently--

“Stop it!” someone screamed. Rey turned to see that it was Hermione Granger, but her gaze was not on the spider. Instead, it was on Neville Longbottom, whose hands were clenched on the desk before him. His eyes were wide and as horrified as Rey was sure hers were.

Moody removed his wand and the spider’s legs relaxed, though Rey could still see it twitching slightly. Moody reduced the spider’s size with another incantation and returned it to the jar. “Pain,” he said. “You don’t need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse… That one was very popular once too. Right… anyone know any others?”

Hermione Granger’s hand shook slightly as she raised it into the air. 

“Yes?” Moody asked, looking at her.

“ _Avada Kedavra_ ,” Hermione whispered.

Rey saw Ben tense up beside her from the corner of her vision. He wasn’t the only one who reacted to hearing the spell, as several others looked uneasily around the classroom. Rey clenched her trembling hands into fists, released them, then clenched them again as she tried to control her breath.

“Ah,” Moody said darkly. “Yes, the last and the worst. _Avada Kedavra_ … the Killing Curse.”

Moody put his hand in the glass jar and the third spider scuttled frantically away from Moody’s grasp, making everything so much worse in Rey’s eyes. He trapped the spider and let it fall on the desktop where it started to run across the wooden surface, away from Moody. Moody raised his wand and Rey held her breath. “ _Avada Kedavra_!”

There was a flash of green light. Rey couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her as the spider rolled onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead. Several of the students had stifled cries, but louder than that was a yell and a violent lurch. Everyone in the class turned to look at Ben. He had reacted so quickly and swiftly that he had toppled over the desk. Ben’s eyes were on the spider and his breath was labored. He was trembling and his lips twitched ever so slightly. Rey could see that his eyes were glassy. 

Moody looked at Ben in surprise but dismissed the incident. “Not nice,” he said calmly. “Not pleasant. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he’s sitting right in front of me.”

Eyes shifted from Ben to Harry Potter who was seated in front of Moody. Rey reached her hand out and pressed it into Ben’s, intertwining their fingers. At her touch, he began to relax slowly. She rubbed his hand with her thumb soothingly. “It’s okay,” Rey whispered, though she knew it wasn’t. 

“ _Avada Kedavra’s_ a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it -- you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I’d get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn’t matter. I’m not here to teach you how to do it,” Moody said. “So, why am I showing you? _Because you’ve got to know._ You’ve got to appreciate what the worst is. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you’re facing it.”

Rey turned to Ben just as Moody roared, “CONSTANT VIGILANCE!” The whole class jumped again and Rey swore under her breath.

“Now… those three curses -- Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus -- are known as the Unforgivable Curses,” Moody continued. “ The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That’s what you’re up against. That’s what I’ve got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance. Get your quills… copy this down…”

They spent the rest of the class taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. Ben seemed to recover from the scare of the Killing Curse, but Rey always saw his eyes and hands twitch when he had to write a note on it. Everyone was silent until the bell rang, but when Moody dismissed them and they exited the class, the students burst forth in conversation about the whole thing. 

Rose, Finn, and Poe looked at Rey in question, but Rey dismissed them with a wave of her hand. They understood and followed the other students.

Rey waited for Ben to gather his things after all the other students shuffled out of the classroom excitedly, leaving them alone. Ben was quiet again, closed off. As he pulled his bag onto his back, Rey reached out and placed her hand on his arm. Ben sighed at the touch, closing his eyes and bracing an arm against a desk. “Are you okay?” Rey whispered.

“Yeah,” Ben breathed. He opened his eyes and Rey saw his eyelashes flutter against his skin. He looked down at her and she noticed how close they were. Mere inches away. “Just shaken.” 

Rey nodded, eyes searching his for any doubt, but there was only genuinity. 

“Are you okay?” Ben asked.

Rey nodded once again. “Okay,” she said, “as long as you are.”

Ben’s lips perked up at the reply, and Rey smiled. The most important part of their friendship to Rey was always showing Ben that they were a team. She had noticed his tendency to forget it, but she would never allow him to truly believe it. Ben deserved a friend. He needed one, and Rey vowed to always be there. They both did. Together, until the end, no matter what.


	9. The Yule Ball

The next day, students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrived as they would be joining them for the Triwizard Tournament. They arrived in a memorable fashion. The Beauxbatons students made their arrival in a large carriage flown by several winged horses. Unexpectedly, the Durmstrangs arrived by water, their ship protruding out of the surface of the lake with dramatic effect. _Show-offs,_ Rey thought.

Rey was pleasantly surprised to see Viktor Krum among the Durmstrangs. She’d seen him compete in the Quidditch World Cup for Bulgaria. She would’ve never guessed he still attended school.

The most amusing thing about it all was how Poe reacted. Rey had never seen him so nervous about anything in his life — even about Quidditch. He idolized Quidditch players from his aspirations and dreams of becoming a professional someday, and Viktor Krum was among one of his idols. Poe was practically trembling from nervousness at the first dinner with the foreign students. Rey would never let him live it down, much to his annoyance, but she knew he’d get her back someday.

After the dinner, Dumbledore introduced two new men that had joined them: Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of Magical Cooperation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Dumbledore revealed that Crouch and Bagman worked alongside him to prepare the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament and they would be joining himself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxine as judges for the champions’ efforts.

There would be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, that would test the champions in many different ways. Three champions would be chosen, one from each school. They would be marked by how well they performed in each task and the champion with most total points at the end of the three tasks would win the Triwizard Cup. The champions would be chosen by the Goblet of Fire.

Dumbledore pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup, the brim dancing with blue flames.  
Dumbledore continued carefully, saying that anyone who wished to enter would have to write their name clearly on a piece of parchment and place it inside the goblet. Aspiring champions had twenty-four hours to do so. The following night the names would be chosen. Lastly, he warned them of the risks of entering as once their name was chosen, they would have no other choice but to compete. With that, he dismissed them.

The following day, students crowded in the Great Hall. Rey downed her dinner quickly and waited rather impatiently for everyone’s plates to clear so she could hear what champions had been chosen. After all, it would be the most exciting thing to happen all year since Quidditch was canceled.

When everyone finished their dinner, the plates returned to their spotless state and the noise in the Great Hall died down as Dumbledore stood. Dumbledore took out his wand and made a sweeping motion with it. At once, the candles in the Great Hall distinguished and engulfed them in semidarkness. The only source of light was the blue flames of the Goblet of Fire.

The flames of the goblet turned red and it shot out a piece of parchment. Dumbledore caught it and read it out to reveal that the champion for Durmstrang was Viktor Krum. Krum stood up, applauded by his school, and disappeared into the chamber Dumbledore directed him to.

The champion for Beauxbatons was announced as Fleur Delacour. A girl with blonde hair stood up and smiled brightly. Rey saw Ben as he looked at Fleur with red cheeks and a shy smile. Something stirred within Rey at the sight -- a mix of anger, envy, and sadness. Rey was startled by the feeling, but she pushed it away as Fleur disappeared into the chamber.

Red flames erupted again and Dumbledore caught another piece of parchment, revealing the Hogwarts champion as Cedric Diggory. Rey laughed in surprise as the familiar handsome boy stood up. Rey’s eyes met Ben’s across the Great Hall as he looked at her intently, but she tore her gaze away. There was thunderous applause from the Hufflepuff table as Cedric walked forward and disappeared into the side chamber.

“Excellent!” Dumbledore said happily. “Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real--”

Dumbledore stopped speaking and Rey’s attention drifted to where he was looking. The goblet had turned red again. It let out another piece of parchment that Dumbledore caught. “Harry Potter,” he read aloud.

Everyone turned to Harry Potter, openmouthed. When he didn’t move, Dumbledore called him forward. Harry obeyed and followed Dumbledore’s instructions into the chamber. Dumbledore quickly dismissed everyone before disappearing into the chamber after Harry.

There were a lot of questions among the Gryffindors and other Hogwarts students. It was true that Harry wasn’t old enough to be a Triwizard Champion, but he had been chosen and declared one anyway. Rey didn’t bother listening to any of the crazy theories others had, but she could agree that the situation seemed suspicious.

Many Gryffindors were pleased that someone from their house had been chosen, so as expected, Slytherin decided to fire back. They made badges that taunted Harry Potter as a Hogwarts Champion, encouraging students to support Cedric Diggory instead. The badges would turn a sickly green color with the words “POTTER STINKS!” over it. Rey ignored until Draco decided to call attention to her again one day.

“Want one, orphan?” Draco sneered. Ben looked at him, jaw clenched. “It can be a present you can pretend your parents got you.”

Rey was mortified and ashamed at the comment, but mostly confused as to how Malfoy could have found something like that out about her. Before she could react, Ben lunged and grabbed Malfoy by his collar. Some of the Slytherins yelled and suddenly, Draco wasn’t laughing anymore. Draco looked terrified as Ben slammed him against the wall of the corridor they were in. “Don’t you dare say anything about her,” Ben snapped.

Malfoy was silent. “Ben, stop,” Rey said, pushing at Ben’s shoulders in an attempt to get him to step away from Draco. Ben obliged and released Malfoy, stepping back. He looked at him one last time before turning away and walking back toward the Gryffindors.

“You’ve chosen your side, have you?” Draco said mockingly. “Enjoying your time with the Mudblood, eh, Solo?”

Anger surged through her and Rey clenched a fist at her side. Before she realized what she was doing, Rey had turned and punched Draco square in the face. There was a sickening crack as his nose broke underneath her fist. Draco cried out and stumbled, clutching his bloody nose. “You broke my nose!” he yelled.

“Consider it payback,” Rey said.

Ben had taken a punch from Malfoy in their second year, leaving him with a broken nose. Rey had paid back the favor. Both Ben and Rey received detention for it, but in their eyes, it had been worth it. Just as it had been for Ben in their second year.

Rey, Ben, Rose, Finn, and Poe attended the first task of the Triwizard Tournament together. It was a battle against dragons. Rey wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t that. Rey had to shield her eyes several times, sure the champion fighting would be slaughtered horribly. Miraculously, nobody died. Harry Potter had garnered the most points, which Rey was proud of since he represented Gryffindor.

At the end of one of their Transfiguration classes one day, Professor McGonagall stopped them. “I have something to say to you all,” she said. “The Yule Ball is approaching -- a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above -- although you may invite a younger student if you wish.

“Dress robes will be worn,” Professor McGonagall continued, “and the ball will start at eight o’clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then--”

Professor McGonagall looked around the class.

“The Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to -- er -- let our hair down,” she said in a disapproving voice.

Rose giggled from beside Rey. Rey looked over to see Rose looking at her with a smile. Rose reached up a patted one of the three buns atop Rey’s head. Rey playfully nudged Rose away, but her hand reached up to her hair. She’d never really let her hair down for more than a shower… what would it look like? Rey felt eyes on her and she turned her gaze to Ben, who was looking at her with those same curious eyes she’d grown used to. His gaze was on her neck, slowly traveling up to her hair before reaching her eyes. He turned away once he realized he’d been caught staring at her, and Rey did the same, pretending to not have noticed though they both knew she did.

“But that does NOT mean,” Professor McGonagall went on, “that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously be displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way.”

The bell rang. As Rey gathered her books and placed them into her bag, she looked at Ben again, a new idea forming in her mind. She knew exactly who she wanted to attend the ball with. She hoped he’d come to the same conclusion and ask her. And if he didn’t, well, she’d ask him herself.

* * *

Everyone in their fourth year or higher signed up to stay for Christmas for the Yule Ball. Once everyone got the news about it, the excitement for the coming event was unrelenting. Boys seemed to notice Rey and Rose more as they passed through corridors, leaving them to erupt in giggles and whispers as they passed by them. Rey and Rose had never become so aware of how many boys Hogwarts held, though neither seemed very fazed by this. Rey knew who she wanted to go with, but she had no idea if Rose did.

“Rose, has anyone asked you?” Rey asked one night.

They were sitting at a table in the warmth of the Gryffindor common room, finishing up homework. A fire crackled from the nearby fireplace. It was late in the night on a weekend, so no one was present in the common room. Everyone would much rather be catching up on sleep than doing homework. Well, everyone besides them and Hermione Granger. Except, of course, Hermione Granger had finished the assignment the day it was given.

Rose looked up at her. “No. You?”

Rey shook her head. “Who do you want to go with?” Rey asked. At this, Rose smiled and turned her attention back to her homework. The redness in her cheeks was unmistakable. “Rose!”

“Finn!” Rose yelled, looking back up at Rey. She was smiling brightly. “Finn, okay? There, I said it.”

Rey laughed with her. “Okay, Finn. Are you going to ask him?”

“I want him to ask me,” Rose said, turning back to her homework shyly.

“You can’t rely on that!” Rey exclaimed. “Boys are oblivious to everything, and he probably is. That, or he’s too shy.”

“Are you saying I ask him?”

“Why not?”

Rose’s eyes narrowed. “Easy for you to say. If you’re suggesting that, who do you want to go with?”

Rey blinked at her in surprise at how quickly the tables had turned against her. “You’re deflecting.”

“And you’re ignoring my question,” Rose said.

Rey stared at her for a moment, but Rose didn’t budge. Her gaze didn’t waver. She wanted answers and she wouldn’t stop until she got them. Rey laughed lightly, before admitting, “Ben.”

Rose gasped. “Oh my gosh, I knew it.”

Rey’s brows furrowed in a mix of confusion and surprise. “Knew what?”

“You like him, don’t you?” Rose asked with a raised brow.

Rey shot back, “You like Finn?”

“Stop deflecting!” Rose yelled, a hint of laughter in her voice.

“Stop ignoring my question!” Rey yelled back. “Answer mine, and I’ll answer yours.”

“Yes, I like Finn,” Rose admitted. “Happy?”

“Fine. Well...” Rey paused. “I don’t like Ben. Not like that.” Rose raised an eyebrow. “At least I don’t think so.”

“Rey, come on-“

“Ben and I... we’re best friends,” Rey said. “That’s all. I just want to go with him as a friend.”

Rose scoffed, turning back to her homework. “Yeah, okay,” she said sarcastically. “The way you two look at each other, Rey... those are no best friend looks, even if you don’t realize it. That’s all I’m saying.”

Rey stayed silent, partly because she had no idea how to reply and partly because she felt as if Rose’s words were true. All the things she’d been feeling towards Ben in that year were no way you felt towards someone you considered a friend, and yet, Rey was too afraid to think anything different. Rey had thought she never entertained the idea of them being anything more because she wasn’t entirely sure about how she felt, but in reality, Rey was afraid.

Of course, Rey was afraid. She thought it was a miracle that she’d been able to keep close friends like Rose, Finn, Poe, and especially Ben for so long. Even though it had been nearly a decade, Rey still hadn’t entirely recovered from the trauma left behind by her abandonment. She was terrified it would happen again with any of her friends, or even the Tico’s. They were family to her, but they were only so close to her. If she allowed herself to grow close to someone in the way she was starting to see Ben… surely he’d see something deep inside her he didn’t like and leave. Like her parents did.

And yet, as strong as her fears were, her feelings for Ben felt just as strong and growing. She knew she couldn’t stay away from him, not with how close they’d grown and not with the vows they made to each other. She couldn’t hurt him like that because she was afraid.

Rey thought back to the topic of the ball and an obvious thought occurred to her. “What’re we wearing?”

“Oh, right!” Rose said, remembering. “Mom is sending some dresses to us.”

Rey had heard what she said, but her mind had fixated on one thing: Mom. As if they were sisters. It felt surreal to hear when Rey had been thinking about her abandonment moments before. Rey brushed it off, pushing it to the back of her mind to cherish the moment later.

“Don’t be scared,” Rose continued. “She has a keen eye for some beautiful dresses that’ll suit us perfectly. Trust me when I say she can be trusted. All we have to worry about is our dates.”

Rose grimaced at her own words, and Rey laughed. “I suppose you’d rather deal with the dresses?” Rey asked.

“It’s no secret that that’ll be so much easier than boys,” Rose said.

“Depends what boy you ask,” Rey said, “but Finn won’t be a problem. I think he likes you too.”

Rose smiled at her and hid her blush as she turned back to her homework. It was true, Rey knew. There was no denying how Finn looked at Rose, or how flushed his cheeks became when Rose was mentioned in conversation, or how bright his eyes lit up every time he saw and spoke to her. Rey only wondered if Rose was seeing the same things between her and Ben.

It was easy for Rey to become frustrated in the days to come. There were more and more whispers among their peers about their dates, and Ben seemed to only dodge the topic whenever they were together. He seemed to want to talk about everything else going on in their lives and future, evidently avoiding the Yule Ball. Whenever Rey was moments away from bringing up the topic, Ben became nervous and clumsy and exited out of the conversation.

Rey got so frustrated one day about Ben’s complacency to bring it up that she opened her mouth to yell the question when he interrupted her. “Rey, uh…” He was looking down at his fingers, tugging at them in nervousness. “I was… wondering if…”

Rey leaned in closer to him in anticipation of what he was going to say. His stammering only left her anxious and eager to get it out of the way. “If I wanted to come to the ball with you?” she finished for him.

Ben looked up at her in surprise. A smile tugged at his lips, but he seemed to regain control over his features. He cleared his throat as his brows furrowed and he took a moment to look at the ground. He scratched nervously at the back of his head before meeting her eyes again. “Um… yeah, but only if you want to, of course. I mean, you know, that’s why I’m asking you…” He laughed. “... to agree, if you wanted to--”

“Yes,” Rey said quickly.

His face was full of disbelief. “Really?” he asked.

“Yes,” Rey breathed out in relief.

Ben nodded and gave her a shy smile. “Yeah, okay,” he said.

“Okay! You’re my date,” Rey stated, holding back a smile.

“I’m your date,” Ben agreed.

Rey bit her lip to keep herself from smiling, but her eyes spoke of her joy even louder than her smile ever could. “Okay.”

“Brilliant,” Ben said.

They both nodded at each other, before turning in the direction of their opposite house common rooms. Rey’s chest fluttered as she took in what had happened. Rey shook her head in disbelief and let herself smile. When Rey returned to the Gryffindor common room, Rose was there to meet her with two brown parcels as if on cue.

“They’re here!” Rose exclaimed, shoving a package into Rey’s hands. Rey fumbled for the parcel as Rose walked towards the staircase. “Also, Finn asked me to the ball today. Can you believe it?”

Rey smiled as she followed Rose up the stairs toward their dormitory. “Actually, I can.”

“I’m so excited. I can’t believe we’re going together,” Rose said. Her brows furrowed and she turned to Rey suddenly. “And Ben?”

Rey buried her face in her hands, ignoring Rose’s gasp at her reaction. “I asked him, and he said yes.”

Rose screamed in delight, and Rey could see her jumping up and down from behind her hands. “I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!” Rose yelled.

Rey reddened with embarrassment and slapped Rose’s hand.“Stop! Rose!” Rey hissed.

“You love me,” Rose said, popping a quick kiss to Rey’s cheek. She disappeared into one of the two dormitory bathrooms. “Try on the dress!”

Rey closed herself off into the bathroom across to the one Rose was in. Rey couldn’t deny her nervousness when she stared at the parcel in her hands. She tore it open to find a box within it. She set the box down and opened it. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight. She took the dress and held it up in front of her as her eyes scanned it in awe.

Rey pulled the dress on carefully, fearful one wrong move would ruin it. Rey looked into the mirror and she couldn’t believe her reflection. Rey turned back to the bathroom door and opened it enough to stick her head through. Her eyes met Rose’s, who was peering through at her through a slightly agape door.

At the sight of Rey, Rose smiled and stepped out the door. Rey gasped at the sight of her. She had never seen Rose in anything quite like it, and it left her speechless. “Rose, it’s beautiful,” Rey whispered.

Rose smiled as she looked down at the dress. “I know,” she said. “I love it.” She looked back up at Rey. “Let me see your dress.”

Rey suddenly felt shy, but she stepped out before Rose anyway. Rose’s eyes widened as she looked over the dress. Her hands came up to cup her face as she took in the sight of Rey. “Wow,” she said, looking up at Rey. “Well, what do you think?”

Rey smiled. “It’s perfect.”

* * *

Rey was shining. Her dress was beige, nearly gold, and it sparkled like stars. The top was V-shaped with embezzlement embroidered all the way down to her waist where it faded off into the dress material. The dress hung down to her feet where it was met with dazzling heels. Her cropped hair was down and curled elegantly.

Rey was so careful walking down the stairs in the unfamiliar shoes that she hadn’t noticed Ben was there. Rey was surprised by his appearance. He wore black dress robes, his shirt underneath striking white against his black tie. Rey was utterly breathless by his appearance, unsure how she’d ever been able to look at Ben as a friend as these years, and she was dumbfounded that his reaction matched her own.

Ben was staring at her with eyes of awe and Rey could only look back at him with the same. Rey wasn’t sure how she managed to walk up to him and say, “Hey.”

Ben responded immediately, recovering. He cleared his throat. “Hi.”

Rey smiled at him, and Ben smiled back. This time, it was entirely different from the response he’d given her in the Great Hall that one winter morning their first year. There was something more in their eyes, their smiles: the unraveling of something new between them. Rey felt the same strange flutter in her chest she’d grown familiar with in response to Ben, and instead of pushing it away, Rey welcomed it.

Ben offered his hand to her, and Rey took it. His hand was warm and the warmth enveloped her cold fingertips. Ben lead her into the ball, straight to the dance floor.

The Great Hall had completely transformed for the Yule Ball. It looked like a winter fairytale. At the far back of the hall were three Christmas trees, the largest in the center, with snow lying atop the greenery of its leaves. The ceiling shimmered with icicles. It felt like stepping into a land of snow, though Rey was surprised to find the temperature didn’t change at all when she stepped inside.

The perks of magic, Rey assumed.

Rey caught sight of Rose with Finn. Rose was wearing a long, baby blue dress. It had a small V-neck with similar embezzlements to Rey’s dress. The shining embroidery cut off at Rose’s waist, leaving the rest of the dress to be its signature blue with pleated patterns on the skirt. Unlike Rey, Rose’s hair was pulled into a braid that formed a knot atop her head.

Rey and Rose couldn’t have been happier with the dress choices Mrs. Tico had made for them. Rey hadn’t expected to like a dress as much as she did this one, let alone feel so herself in it. Rey knew Rose felt the same way about her own dress.

Ben and Rey danced away with all their odd and ridiculous dance moves. Nobody had taught them how to dance and, frankly, they didn’t care. When they were together, nothing seemed to matter. They were lost in their private little world, a bubble of safety away from the rest of the world. They were Ben and Rey and all that mattered was that they were together.

After several fast-paced songs, a slow song began and the rest of the people on the dance floor got close together with hands on waists and shoulders. Rey’s heart rate quickened at the sight, knowing she’d be that close to Ben any moment. She looked at him and found Ben was looking at her with pursed lips. Ben held his hand out to her in invitation and Rey ignored the nervousness that surged through her. Rey took his hand tentatively and allowed Ben to pull her close to him, leaving their hands clasped. Rey’s other hand found his shoulder, now broad compared to what they used to be months before, and Ben’s free hand snaked around her waist.

Rey was looking past his shoulder, her head slightly brushing against his jawline. Rey became incredibly aware of how close they were, where his hands lay on her, and where hers laid on him.

They swayed along with the music, and Rey let her thoughts get dragged away by what she saw. Finn and Rose were dancing nearby, Rose’s head resting on Finn’s shoulder. A few feet away, seated at an empty table, Rey could see Poe. Poe was looking at Finn and Rose with longing eyes. Before Rey could think twice, Ben’s lips were brushing against her ear. Rey’s breath hitched at the unexpected contact.

“You look beautiful,” Ben whispered softly. She felt his breath against her ear and it sent chills down her spine.

Ben leaned away from her, and Rey pulled away from his shoulder. Their faces were so close it was nearly painful. A blush rushed to her cheeks. “You don’t look too bad yourself,” she whispered back.

He laughed lightly. “I would hope not.”

“You look beautiful too,” Rey whispered.

The song drew to an end. The way Ben was looking at her was leaving her breathless. Her heart was beating so loudly in her ears that she was sure he could hear it. Rey was desperate to know what he was thinking and feeling and if they were similar to her own. Did he feel the same way she did? Was he, also, stunned with whatever was passing between them? Ben looked down at her lips for the briefest moment, as if contemplating something, and Rey stopped breathing. Ben’s close attention to her was short-lived as Rose had shown up.

“Rey, come on!” Rose yelled, grabbing Rey’s hand. Rey hadn’t realized a new song had begun playing. Rey stole one last glance towards Ben as she was hauled away by Rose. “I’m not letting Ben steal my girl the whole night!”

Rey had been annoyed Rose would tear her away from Ben, but at the words, she wasn’t so upset anymore. “I could say the same about Finn,” Rey teased.

“Oh, shut up!” Rose shot back.

Poe was a few feet away, standing silently with a cup in his hand. Rey ran over to him and grabbed his hand. “Poe, come on!” Rey encouraged as she pulled him onto the dance floor.

“Oh, no, Rey,” Poe said. He held his ground firmly, but Rey wouldn’t give up so easily. “I don’t feel like dancing tonight.”

“Since when?” Rose said as she appeared beside them. She joined Rey in dragging Poe forward, and Poe surrendered. He laughed as he placed his cup down on a table and followed them with surprisingly impressive dance moves.

Ben and Finn found them moments later. A pained expression crossed Poe’s features when he saw Finn, but he quickly brushed it off as he continued to dance. As quick as it had happened, Rey had caught it and she felt for her friend.

It hadn’t been the first time she’d caught the looks Poe gave Finn, but it was the first time she had ever registered it as anything else. She finally seemed to understand because she knew the look. She’d grown to become familiar with it. She’d seen it in Ben’s face when boys looked at Rey a certain way, or when she did. She’d seen it in Rose’s face, as of late, when girls smiled flirtatiously at Finn. And, of course, she could only imagine the same look on her face when girls fawned over Ben.

Rey smiled at Poe in reassurance, though she knew he had no idea what she was thinking, and he responded immediately. He laughed as he picked her up in his arms and twirled her around. Rey, startled and half-afraid for her safety, shrieked, “Poe!”

Poe was laughing as he set her down, and Rey hit him playfully. “Never do that again!”

“Come on! Where’s the fun in that?” Poe teased.

“Poe,” Ben said, “I think that’s my job as her date.”

“You’re just intimidated that I’ll steal your girl,” Poe shot back.

“Never, flyboy!”

“Flyboy!” Poe acknowledged. “You know what? I like that one!”

Ben rolled his eyes and Poe laughed. It seemed like they’d been dancing for hours when Poe finally left from how tired he’d grown. Rose and Finn left shortly after, hand-in-hand. After one final dance, Ben led Rey away from the ball. There was still an hour and a half left of the ball, but from all the dancing they’d done, they were beyond exhausted. As Ben escorted her away, Rey ignored the couples in close quarters hidden in dark shadows. She pushed away the thought of being so close to Ben.

Ben let go of her hand once they’d gotten away from the crowd of people around, clearly flustered. It was almost laughable to Rey for them both to be so nervous about it when they’d danced so closely for hours. And yet, Rey couldn’t bring herself to make a move to prove her point.

They walked silently in the dark halls of the castle, a new tension setting over them. There was something unmistakable in the air, a shifting, new feeling of being drawn to someone. Rey could only compare it to two magnets being so close together, painfully drawn to the other, with some force holding back their union.

Rey wanted to hold his hand, to be close to him, to kiss him, even. Rey blinked at the thought, but she wasn’t even shocked at it. She’d seen it coming. Rather, she was surprised that she had let herself think it as she began to realize she hadn’t minded the idea of kissing Ben. She just never allowed herself to consider the thought, but now that she had, Rey couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Rey and Ben went through corridors either bathed in moonlight from the windows or in the firelight from the torches set in the dark hallways. They stayed silent, but Rey was desperate to say something to break the tension that seemed to be so heavy over them. However, she couldn’t think of anything worthwhile to say and each moment felt agonizingly longer than the last.

At last, they reached the Gryffindor dormitory entrance. Rey had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t even registered that Ben was walking her back to her dorm, or like in the movies, her home. Her chest fluttered at the realization.

Ben turned to her in front of it, and she mirrored him. “Thanks for being my date,” she said, finally finding words again.

“Anytime,” Ben said, a smile tugging at his lips.

Rey let herself take him in one last time. She was in awe of how beautiful he looked, especially so in the moonlight. _You’ll be the death of me, Ben Solo,_ she thought.

Ben studied her, eyes roaming over her face. The gaze sent her heart racing. “Have a good night,” he said.

“You too,” she said, rather breathlessly.

He leaned down and she was sure he was going to kiss her full on the lips. Her heartbeat quickened, but instead, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. He started pulling back, but Rey leaned into him. His lips dragged against her cheek as he pulled away. She turned her head, suddenly desperate to have his lips on her own. She was surprised at the desire that shot through her. Their lips brushed each other’s briefly, barely a ghost of a touch. The small contact made electricity soar through her, and she gasped lightly.

Ben pulled away from her and Rey nearly whined in protest. His face was so close to hers that their breath mingled with every exhale. Ben was looking at her with incredulous eyes. She looked back at him with urgency. His eyes flickered down to her lips, but they quickly returned to her eyes. His brows furrowed as if confused. “I-I should go,” he said.

Before Rey could reach out for him, Ben turned on his heels and walked away from her until he disappeared down the corridor. Rey groaned, and she said the passcode for the Gryffindor common room. She got ready for bed in frustration, regretting not taking a chance. She hoped Rose’s night with Finn was luckier than her own with Ben.

That night, eyes closed as she waited for sleep to come, she let herself imagine what Ben’s lips would feel on her own. When sleep finally claimed her, she dreamed of his body pressed against her own, safe in his arms, with his lips against hers. And there, in her dream, Rey thought this must be what home and true belonging felt like.


	10. Connected

When she saw Ben again every day after their near kiss, a new awkwardness enveloped them in a closeness Rey wasn’t fond of. She sensed it in the way Ben looked at her and quickly tore his eyes from her before they could make eye contact. She noticed it in the way Ben seemed far away in every conversation they had, as if he’d rather be anywhere else. Embarrassment flooded Rey with each new interaction she and Ben shared.

Rey had made it blatantly obvious how she felt about him, so obvious that she even tried to kiss him. It became clear that the feelings weren’t reciprocated. On the bright side, she supposed, he was only trying to move past the incident. Rey respected this since she only wanted to move past her embarrassment.

The subject of the Yule Ball was never discussed between them, though it was still spoken of amongst their friends much to their annoyance.

Rose’s and Finn’s hands were intertwined, resting on the Gryffindor table of the Great Hall. “And he just asked me out,” Rose said brightly, “right then and there.”

Rey blinked. “Wonderful.”

“Truly,” Ben agreed with a tight smile. 

Rey glanced at Ben momentarily, noting something further in his tone. She’d known him so long that she knew the subtle things that hinted at his true feelings. Looking at him then, she wasn’t sure what he felt, but she could tell there was some sort of irritation lurking beneath the surface.

“Incredible,” Poe said, matching Ben’s tone.

Rose’s and Finn’s faces fell with suspicion as they looked over their three friends sitting before them. Rose opened her mouth to say something, but closed it immediately after as she looked away. Confusion etched her face. 

“What’s up with you guys?” Rose asked.

“Us?” Rey asked, looking over at Ben and Poe. “Uh, nothing.”

Poe laughed nervously. “Yeah, why would you assume something is up with us?” he asked.

“Everything’s normal,” Ben said with one too many nods. “Perfectly… normal.”

Rose’s eyes narrowed. “Right,” she said. “Well, Finn and I are going to play a game of Quidditch. The field is mostly empty. Care to join us?”

“I actually have to talk to Professor McGonagall about my grade,” Poe said, standing up to leave. He gave them a curt nod, before turning away and leaving the Great Hall. Rey watched him leave, and she couldn’t escape the sight of his face before he had turned away. His eyes were sad.

“I promised my family I would write,” Ben said.

Rey turned her attention to Ben in surprise, not at the truth in his words, but at the definite lie in them. He hadn’t written or spoken to his family in months, and he never spoke about them either. The mere mention of them made him shift uncomfortably and lean away from any conversation, sadness flooding his eyes. And here he was, mentioning them nonchalantly as a means of escape. Ben stood to his feet without another word or glance and disappeared down the hall.

Rose’s and Finn’s eyes landed on Rey. “Why is everyone acting so weird?” Rose asked.

“I don’t know,” Rey lied.

Rose didn’t seem to believe her, but she didn’t press her for any other information. “I’m guessing you have somewhere to be, like everyone else?” Rose asked.

“I actually do,” Rey said as she stood to her feet. “I thought I’d get some reading done before the term starts again.” Rey offered a smile. “And also, I think you guys should spend some time alone together. You’re always with me and everyone else.”

“But you guys are great,” Finn said.

“Yes, and you’ll have plenty of time to spend time with us for the rest of the year,” Rey said. “One day without us won’t do you any harm. Besides, we all have a ton to do anyway.”

Rose laughed at her sarcasm. “Okay, just one day.”

When Rose and Finn left the Great Hall, Rey was alone again. All of a sudden, her friend group seemed divided. Rose and Finn were a couple now, which only hurt Rey to see. For a moment, she had allowed herself to imagine having that status with Ben and the thought seemed to stretch into infinity before being torn away from her by reality. Ben was being odd with her, his discomfort obvious from what had happened the night of the Yule Ball. And Poe didn’t seem eager to see Rose and Finn together either. The sight hurt him as it hurt Rey.

Just as they had all come together despite their differences, it seemed to have been torn away.

Rey distracted herself when the term began again by letting herself be completely swarmed by her work. She still saw Ben often, but they barely spoke. It seemed as if they had reached an invisible line in their friendship, and neither was sure what should happen next. They wanted to keep the friendship alive, but the Yule Ball incident only weighed down on it. Ignoring it and each other nearly altogether would do nothing to help, but Rey would be lying if she thought there was anything else to be done. Perhaps time would help them forget and move on, she thought.

By the time the Second Task arrived, Rey and Ben had broken through some of the awkwardness between them. They attended together, along with Rose, Finn, and Poe. 

The Second Task was at the lake of Hogwarts. Three large seating areas floated above the water on four wooden legs that disappeared far beneath the murky water. Each one had four levels of seating, the uppermost level accompanied with a large room that extended into a clock tower. In the middle stand, Rey could see the champions below her and her friends with the lake stretched out before them. 

Bagman’s voice boomed across the area. “Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One… two…  _ three _ !”

A whistle echoed through the air, and the four champions disappeared into the water. 

Fleur Delacour emerged first, empty-handed and clearly shaken. Cedric Diggory emerged second with Ravenclaw Cho Chang in his arms. Third came Viktor Krum with Hermione Granger. Then came Ron Weasley and Fleur Delacour’s sister, alone. Whispers broke out among the crowd as their eyes searched for Harry Potter who was nowhere to be seen. After much suspense, he broke the surface.

Harry Potter was again awarded many points, despite how long he was underwater, for his determination to release all the hostages to safety. He was tied with Cedric Diggory.

The Third Task, the most exciting of them all, took place in June. The Quidditch Field was completely transformed for the event. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front, where Rey could see: the entrance to the vast maze. It stretched out into darkness, and Rey’s skin crawled at the sight.

Ben sat beside her, pressed into her side to accommodate room for as many students amid the crowding seats. On her other side sat Rose. Finn was beside her, as expected, and Poe beside him. 

The sky was turning a deep blue, stars beginning to peek through. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!” Bagman’s voice spoke through the air. “Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Toed in first place, with eighty-five points each -- Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School! In second place, with eighty points -- Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute! And in third place -- Miss Fleur, of Beauxbatons Academy!”

Cheers were met with each mention of the champions, each from the schools they represented. Rey could see the champions figures from where she sat. 

“So… on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!” Bagman said. “Three -- two -- one --”

The whistle sounded, and Harry and Cedric disappeared into the maze. After a few moments, Bagman’s whistle went off once again, and Krum joined Harry and Cedric in the darkness of the maze. There was a pause. Bagman’s whistle went off one final time, and Fleur Delacour disappeared into the darkness. All four champions were in the maze.

A suspenseful silence settled over the crowd as they waited. The crowd seemed to hold their breath as they scanned the stretch of the maze before them for any indication of what was happening within it. As time went on, the crowd slowly became more comfortable with the silence and began to engage in conversation once again.

After what felt like hours, there was a crack as figures appeared down below. Rey could see two bodies, one atop the other. Her heart dropped as she realized what she was seeing. Screams issued from the crowd as they all peered into the same sight. Cedric was lifeless on the ground, seemingly dead, with Harry on top of him, the Cup clutched in his hand, clearly crying. 

Rey hadn’t realized she had stood up. She gaped at the scene below her. A hand grabbed her arm lightly, the whisper of her name on someone’s lips.  _ Ben, _ she recognized, but she was pulling away from his reach. She rushed to the bottom of the stands, among others, willing to help in any way she could. She barely reached Harry when she was trapped with other bodies closing in on the scene.

Goosebumps rose along Rey’s skin as she took in the sight of Cedric. His eyes were open wide, fixed on nothing, lifeless. His skin was paler than she remembered, his lips already turning a deadly purple. Rey felt sick. 

Albus Dumbledore appeared and seized Harry by his shoulders. “Harry!  _ Harry! _ ”

“He’s back,” Harry whispered. “He’s back. Voldemort.”

Rey’s insides went cold. Rey turned and pushed back against the crowd, forcing her way past people desperately closing in. She managed to pry herself free from the crowd and ran right into Ben. 

“Rey, what--?” he began, but she pushed past him.

Ben followed her as she began her walk back to the castle. Her heart was racing with fear, chilled to the bone with what Harry had said. She had a hand over her mouth, sure she was going to be sick any second. 

“He’s dead, Ben,” Rey forced out as Ben followed close behind her. “Cedric’s dead.”

“What?” Ben asked. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Harry…” she said. “He said V-Voldemort was back.”

The words silenced Ben, but he continued to follow her. Rey remembered Rose, Finn, and Poe back at the stands and suddenly remembered she’d left them behind. She considered going back for the briefest moment, but she convinced herself otherwise just as quickly. Cedric was back there, dead, and the horrifying story Harry probably had was yet to be shared. Rey couldn’t stomach the idea of glimpsing either so soon after what she’d witnessed. 

Tears stung her eyes. One of her fellow students was dead, most likely murdered. How else would Harry say Voldemort was back unless he had seen the monster in the flesh? Unless the monster had killed Cedric himself? The mere thought was all it took for Rey to collapse on the grass. Rey’s stomach churned violently within her in disgust and fear.

Ben’s arms were there to help her up. He took her hand and led her toward the castle. Rey’s mind was a haze, blurry with so many thoughts running through her. It wasn’t until they had gone through several hallways and staircases that Rey was confused as to where exactly he was taking her. 

“Ben?”

Ben pulled her into a dark closet. A dim light appeared nearby, as if responding to their presence. Rey could see Ben’s face clearly, and his expression was unlike any she’d seen on him. She couldn’t help the tremor of fear that went through her.

“Ben?” she questioned, her voice shaky. “What are you doing?”

Ben held out his hand to her. His lip quivered and he took a deep breath before saying, “Make the Unbreakable Vow to me.”

“W- _ What _ ?” Rey couldn’t believe his words. 

“I need to know that whatever happens in the war that’s coming and beyond,” Ben said, “that I don’t lose you. I can’t lose you.”

Rey stumbled on words, and she shook her head to clear her mind to no avail. “Yes, but Ben, it’s the  _ Unbreakable Vow, _ ” she reasoned. “We’ll die if we break it.”

Ben wasn’t fazed by her words. “You said yourself that you don’t take vows lightly. Your word is final,” he said. When she didn’t say anything, he whispered, “Please.”

Rey looked down at his hand, at what he was asking of her. She looked back up at him and she could see the plead in his eyes. She could see how desperate he was to have her by his side. His eyes glistened with tears, and something new and foreign flooded through her in response. It was a terrifying mix of appreciation, love, and determination. 

She could see so clearly how things could go wrong. In fact, she couldn’t even see it going right. But it was  Ben .  _ Her Ben _ .

“Rey,” he said. “I know what I’m asking—“

Rey took hold of his wrist. Ben jumped slightly at how quickly she’d decided. He grasped her wrist with a shaky breath. “Rey, are you sure?”

“Do it,” she replied without thinking twice, her eyes burning with tears.

Ben looked down at their held hands. He whispered an incantation and suddenly, thin ropes of fire wrapped around their intertwined hands like a red-hot wire. 

“Do you, Rey,” Ben said, “vow that, no matter what happens in this war and beyond it, we will always find our way back to each other?” 

“I do,” Rey said. “Do you, Ben, vow that, no matter what happens in this war and beyond it, we will always find our way back to each other?”

“I do.”

The fiery ropes around their clasped hands seeped into their skin, burning for a moment, and disappeared. There was a scar left behind on both of their hands, one single marking on two hands. Scarred lines stretched over Rey’s skin that found their end on Ben’s skin, and vice-versa. And so, Rey and Ben were bonded, connected, forever. 


	11. First of Many

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to preface this by expressing apologies for not getting a chapter to you all sooner. I have been preoccupied with school, which makes focusing on writing difficult. So many things have changed since December, and I hope you are all staying safe in the midst of the pandemic we find ourselves in. I thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for following this story and continuing to read it. This is the first Reylo story I started writing, and it's the longest thing I've ever written, so it holds a special place in my heart. I hope you all continue to enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. I cannot thank you all enough for all the kind words and support you've provided for this story, and in turn, for me. No kindness you've extended to this story is left unnoticed or unread. I truly appreciate every message I get immensely. I created a playlist for this story on Spotify that you can find [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4bnrj4PL8yYTE6jauM9LXf?si=LCl8jxUMRXmS_hokdA9PMg) if any of you are interested. Thank you all again for the love and support. I love you all.

Rey traced the outline of the scar left behind by the Unbreakable Vow with her fingertips. She’d grown quite fascinated by it, the way the pale white lines streaked over her opposite hand from the tips of her fingers to nearly the middle of her forearm before dying away into nothingness. The magnitude of the promises she and Ben had made to each other still hadn’t quite set in, and Rey only hoped that nothing would happen that would put it to the test.

Rey thought that after making such a pivotal promise with such dire consequences, she would feel vastly different and in some ways, she did. Sometimes, at night, she swore she could sense Ben’s presence closing in on her and the faint whisperings of another person in her dreams. She felt an all-encompassing warmth around her now, a constant close presence that she couldn’t help but feel was Ben. She could feel another level of intimacy established between them, but surely it was a psychological effect of the vow they’d made. Oddly enough, everything continued normally and neither of them brought up what they’d done. 

Both Ben and Rey had opted to wear their long robes to cover the scar left behind by the Unbreakable Vow, not wanting to be discovered by someone in authority or their friends. Rey already had a plan to wear arm wraps over the summer on both her hands with the excuse of “trying something new”. Ben would most likely come up with something believable of his own.

After the events that took place during the Triwizard Tournament, Dumbledore requested that students leave Harry alone. There would be no questions to him regarding what had happened or what he’d seen in the maze. This, however, didn’t stop students from gossiping or formulating their own theories about the terrible event. 

Rey was grateful that the term was over and she’d soon be back with the Tico’s. She couldn’t imagine another day at the school after what had occured. The reality of Cedric’s death, of Voldemort’s return, of what it meant for the future of their world, weighed down on the air like a heavy blanket. She felt as if she were suffocating under the weight of it, and the summer break from it would prove beneficial. 

Ben promised to write over the summer, but Rey wanted more than just that. “You’ll come?” she asked, hopefully expecting the answer she wanted. “You’ll come during the summer?”

Ben wouldn’t meet her gaze, his brows furrowed in deep thought. “I don’t know…” he replied, finally looking at her. “With everything that’s happened, my parents want me to train with Luke again more than ever before. I don’t think they would allow me to have any leisure time over the summer with what it seems we’re going into… but I promise I’ll write.”

_ My parents,  _ she noted painfully, something she would never know as her friends did. It was a truth she hadn’t allowed herself to think of too much because she felt guilty to do so. She had been given a new family, the Tico’s, and yet, she couldn’t shake the sadness of not knowing her true family. She tried to remember their faces more often than she’d like to admit, diving deep into her memories and desperately clawing at her only memory of them leaving her behind. She searched their faces, willing the blurriness of it all to come into focus, but it never did. She didn’t know what she was expecting or hoping to find with it, but she supposed it was something. 

Rey gave him a solemn nod in understanding and remained silent. He grasped her arm gently as he pulled her aside on the train platform. “Rey, I…” He took a deep breath. “Everything’s going to be okay, alright? We’re going to be fine.”

“You don’t know that,” she whispered. “After what happened, what we saw, what Harry said… Ben, what _ we  _ did--”

“It’s no different from the promise we’ve made to each other before,” he interrupted, his voice rising. She stepped back slightly in surprise at his tone, and Ben took another step forward, his expression growing soft all over again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice, it’s just that…” He shut his eyes and sighed, before opening them once again. “I’ve endured so much, Rey, and there’s just some things I can’t take. Some things I know I wouldn’t survive. Losing you would be one of them, and I can’t…” His voice broke ever so slightly, something she wouldn’t have noticed had she not known him the way she did. “I can’t lose you.”

“I know,” she replied. The pained expression on his face, the sheer desperation in his voice both then and the day they made the Unbreakable Vow, and the whispers she swore she heard at night made her believe that perhaps there was another reason behind his proposal to her. Maybe there was something he wasn’t telling her quite yet, something he didn’t trust her with or wanted to protect her from. It was clear he was carrying a seperate weight he wasn’t allowing her to share with him. “Ben, is there something going on?”

He shook his head quickly. “No, no, of course not,” he said. “You know I would tell you.”

“Right,” she agreed, though she wasn’t entirely convinced. 

They were silent as they regarded each other. A breeze went past them, moving a piece of Rey’s hair to hover over her face. Ben reached up and moved it, his fingertips brushing against her skin. The contact made a fluttering in her stomach unfurl. She searched his face as his eyes followed his trace, his fingers grazing down her cheek and his hand curling gently underneath her jaw, the outside of his hand brushing against the skin before he pulled his hand away. His eyes found hers, and that desperation she felt that night at the Yule Ball came tumbling over her again. 

“Rey!” a voice called. “I found Mom and Dad!” 

Rey was jolted back to reality, and Ben looked past her. She turned to see Rose quickly approaching with her bright smile. A hand touched Rey’s shoulder and Ben’s breath tickled her ear as he whispered, “I’ll write, I promise.” Then he was pulling away, too far for her to reach. She turned toward him, not quite ready to let him go yet, but he was gone. Her eyes searched her surroundings to see if she could spot him, to say one last thing to him before he disappeared for the rest of the summer, which of course was  _ I love you _ .

* * *

Over the course of the summer, Ben and Rey wrote to each other often. They updated one another on what was going on in each other’s lives, such as all the new things Ben was learning with Luke. Rey finally got some insight on Ben’s uncle through the letters: Luke was a former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and he was praised to be among the best, so especially scared families sent their children to train with him over summers. Rey questioned Ben to know more about the mysterious figure that was his uncle, but he insisted there was nothing interesting to know. 

Rey, however, didn’t buy into the excuse so she took matters into her own hands. 

She gazed down at Ben’s letter as she walked into the room Rose and she shared. Rose, Finn, and Poe looked up at her in her entrance. Rey let her hands fall to her sides and she asked, “Do you guys know anything about Luke Skywalker?”

“ _ Do we? _ ” Finn asked incredulously. 

“As if he’s not one of the most praised wizards of our age,” Poe said.

When Rey’s expression remained the same, their faces morphed into stunned surprise. Rose blinked at her and asked, “Wait, you don’t know?”

Annoyed, Rey replied, “Whatever it is, it’s the first I’ve heard of it.” She sighed and took a seat next to Poe on the ground, facing Rose and Finn, whose hands were clasped together. She saw a strange exchange between Finn and Poe, full of confusion and repression. It was gone before she even knew it. 

“During… Voldemort’s reign,” Rose said, “Luke defeated Lord Vader and Palpatine with the help of Leia Organa and Han Solo, or so the legend goes. Lord Vader and Palpatine… they were powerful Dark wizards next to Voldemort. It was around the same time Voldemort tried to kill Harry. All the evil was seemingly snuffed out at once. Of course, we don’t know if that was even the case, considering what’s happened…”

“He’s a hero then,” Rey observed. “Why wouldn’t Ben tell me that?”

Finn shrugged. “I dunno.”

“Is that all you know?” she asked. 

“He became a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for a while,” Rose continued, “but he enjoys working exclusively with select students in a remote area. That’s all anyone really knows.”

Rey had the suspicion that there was far more to the story that they were unaware about, but she simply nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”

“Is that why Ben isn’t with us this summer?” Poe asked. “Because he’s training with Luke?”

She nodded. “His parents insisted after…”

“Yeah,” Rose said quickly, understanding.

The topic of Cedric’s death wasn’t well received among them, and they would rather avoid the topic altogether. It was too heavy and dark for them to want to comprehend. It was too close to them, something that could’ve easily happened to any of them. The closeness of it all made them uncomfortable and afraid. 

Since she’d brought up the sensitive topic, Rey jumped to change the subject, saying, “Quidditch this year should be fun, since we haven’t had the chance to play competitively. Perhaps we should practice over the summer.”

Poe’s face lit up, before posing an old idea. They all smiled mischievously at each other. Without a second thought, they raided the broom closet, taking hold of their own broomsticks and Mr. and Mrs. Tico’s old broomsticks from school. Mrs. Tico noticed the commotion of each of them attempting to get the best broom in the closet and chased after them. She was still calling after them in annoyance when they soared into the air. 

On the Hogwarts Express once again, Rey and Rose ran right into Ben and beside him, Armitage Hux. Rey was surprised to be faced with Ben, who somehow looked even older and more handsome since the last time she’d seen him. However, she was more surprised to see Armitage so up close. She had seen him briefly around Hogwarts, catching glimpses of his fiery hair in classrooms and hallways, but never directly. Now that she did, she couldn’t deny that just like Ben, Hux was handsome himself.

It was rather unfortunate that his face seemed to always be locked in an eternal state of grumpiness, his brows furrowed down in disapproval and his lips tucked tightly together. Rey couldn’t deny he’d look beautiful had he allowed his face to soften or, Merlin’s Beard, had he allowed himself to smile. 

“Rey,” Ben greeted, his face soft everywhere Hux’s was hard.

“Ben.”

Armitage noticed the exchange between them and turned his attention to Rose. “Scum.”

Rose’s eyes were as sharp as daggers, and before she could take a jab at him with her own insult, Armitage’s golden cat came into view from behind his legs and walked over to rub her head affectionately over Rose’s legs. Rose smiled in delight at Hux’s horrified face. “Your cat doesn’t seem to think so,” she said smugly. 

Armitage’s nostrils flared at her. “Can’t blame a cat for not knowing better,” he shot. “Come here, Millicent, you defiant, little rascal.” He took the cat up in his arms, shooting a death stare at Rose, and stalked away.

Rose groaned in annoyance and looked over at Ben. “Are all your friends so insufferable?”

Ben only gave her a small smile. “Not really,” he replied, stealing a glance in Hux’s direction. “One would say he has a crush on you.”

Rose burned red, eyes wide in embarrassment. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Oh, piss off, Ben,” she shot in annoyance as she walked away.

“Only joking!” Ben called after her. 

“Are you?” Rey asked. “Joking?”

He gave her a small smirk. “Maybe.”

She smiled at him, but it faded as she considered where he’d been the entire summer. “How was everything this summer?”

His expression grew dark. “Barely tolerable,” he admitted, “but I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

He nodded. “Entirely.”

“Did Hux say something to you about Rose?” Rey asked curiously.

Ben shook his head. “No, of course not,” he replied, “but he’s always talking about how annoying she is from afar and the like that you can’t help but think he’s keeping a secret about it all. No one talks that much about someone they don’t like.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Rey considered, “but they’ve never talked.”

“No,” he agreed. “Except you weren’t the one that saw his reaction to her during the Yule Ball.”

Her eyes widened. “No way.”

“I’d never seen him so stunned before,” he said. “We’re in rival houses and he swears he hates Gryffindors, so I think that’s where it began.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter, does it?” Rey asked. “Rose and Finn are together.”

Ben nearly laughed. “You should really pay more attention to them, Rey. You really are clueless.”

Rey stifled a laugh in disbelief. “What does that mean?” she asked, now curious to know what he meant.

He only shook his head. “Nothing. You’ll see.”

She pressed him for more information, but Ben wouldn’t let up.

It was their fifth year at Hogwarts and they had a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that they very quickly realized they didn’t like: Professor Umbridge. She had interrupted Dumbledore’s welcoming speech and the way she spoke and carried herself left a bad taste in Rey’s mouth. The initial first impression was proved even more correct when they had their first class and it was revealed that Umbridge wouldn’t actually be teaching them how to use defensive spells. Harry Potter had quite a bit to say about it, taking the words right out of Rey’s mouth, which resulted in his detention.

Rey, Ben, Finn, Rose, and Poe thought the whole thing was quite ridiculous, which was why when Hermione Granger came to them with an invitation to learn, they didn’t hesitate in the slightest. They met at the Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade. Rey quietly sipped at her butterbeer as Hermione addressed the group of them, explaining that they should take the matter of learning Defense Against the Dark Arts into their own hands. 

“I want to be properly trained in Defense because… because…” Hermione took a deep breath. “Because Lord Voldemort’s back.”

A couple students reacted physically to the use of the name, and Rey snorted into her butterbeer in surprise. The name itself wasn’t scary to her in itself, but she knew her fellow students liked to refrain from using it just in case. Hearing it spoken was nothing short of a surprise. All eyes fell to Harry as a discussion about the matter ensued. 

A girl interrupted to ask Harry if he could indeed produce a Patronus, to which he said he could. The students reacted in amazement, and Rey couldn’t help but be impressed. The boy had been through so much, and he still managed to be able to produce a Patronus. She remembered when Ben had mentioned he couldn’t produce his own, but surely if Harry could produce one, anyone could. 

They agreed to learn from Harry, and a place and time to meet would be set in place later on. Hermione had taken out a parchment and quill to write everyone’s names who intended to join with the agreement that Umbridge or anyone else would know what they were up to. There was a sort of thrill of keeping such a secret and breaking the rules that Rey felt course through her as she wrote her name underneath Ben’s. 

Soon after, Angelina came to announce that the Gryffindor Quidditch team would be meeting at the pitch at seven o’clock for practice, despite the downpour of rain that was falling outside. Rey and Poe, however, didn’t mind. It had been so long since they had played the sport competitively than they would take it, rain or shine. 

“Practice all you want,” Ben teased. “We’re still going to win.”

“Keep telling yourself that!” Rey shot back playfully.

He smiled at her shyly, eyes remaining on her. She felt a tremor of affection, but it was gone just as quickly as it had come. She blinked, tore her eyes from his, and pushed back at the feelings that rose within her. Ben didn’t feel the same way, and she was bound to get over it eventually. There was no point dwelling on what she couldn’t have.

Ben took a glance out a window of the Great Hall. “You’re going to practice in this weather?”

Rey shrugged. “I guess so. Let’s hope it clears up.”

The weather didn’t comply with them, and it was a rather uncomfortable experience to attempt to play with the rain still pounding on them from the sky. It was hard to see in the midst of the falling rain and dark sky. They pushed on for an hour before Angelina had to accept defeat and let them go. Rey wanted to believe that the practice hadn’t been an entire waste of time, but she didn’t necessarily feel accomplished by it. 

Rey washed the rain and mud from her body, watching as the grime and dirt swirled in the water at her feet and glided down the drain. Her skin grew red underneath the patter of the hot water. The white lines of the Unbreakable Vow’s scar shined brightly against the redness of her skin. Her eyes traced over it again and again, never quite adjusting entirely to its presence on her skin, on her heart, on her soul. She wondered if Ben felt the same way about his own scar.

After changing, Rey stepped out into the hall and right into Ben. She shrieked in surprise and stepped back, but he only smiled at her. “Ben!” she said. “You scared me. What’re you doing here?”

“I thought practice might have been tiresome so…” He lifted a hand and a small plate with a slice of chocolate cake was in his hand. “I took it from the Great Hall for you.”

Her heart warmed at the gesture, and she smiled up at him.  _ God, he’d grown so tall, _ she thought.  _ And handsome. _ “Ben… that’s so sweet of you,” she said, taking the plate into her hands as he took her Quidditch gear from her. “You really shouldn’t be doing such a thoughtful thing for someone in a rival house.”

“As if that’s ever stopped me before,” he said, lightheartedly. “Besides, we have reason to celebrate.”

She began to walk toward the Gryffindor dorms, and her eyebrows raised. “Oh?” she said. “Why’s that?”

“Well, for one, Quidditch is back,” Ben said as he fell into stride beside her. “And, secondly, Harry and the others found a place.”

Rey stopped, stunned, and Ben turned to face her with a smug smile. “A place? An actual place to learn?” she asked.

“Yes,” Ben answered. “And we’re going there now, so you better eat that before I do.”

She gobbled down the rich, chocolate cake in no time, though she did save a small piece for Ben to enjoy. Rey, Ben, Finn, Poe, and Rose were stunned by the size of the secret place, the Room of Requirement, which was a room that magically appeared to be what it was needed to be at any given time. They had decided on a name: Dumbledore’s Army. 

Their first lesson was the Expelliarmus spell.

All of it was harder than she expected, but Rey persisted. Finn seemed to have the most difficulty mastering the spell, but he too came to learning it. As the lessons progressed, Rey couldn’t help but become concerned with why they were learning the spells in the first place.

Voldemort was back, she knew, and something was coming. Something dark and unimaginable, something no one should ever have to witness or go through. She could feel it in the air, the threatening press of darkness closing in on them, growing closer and closer. It sent chills straight through her bones. 

She always tried to ignore it to not much avail. 

Thankfully, there was always Quidditch to get her mind off things.

The first Quidditch match of the season was Gryffindor versus Slytherin. It was the first game Rose would be playing with Gryffindor since she joined the team after tryouts. It was also the first game Armitage Hux would be playing on the Slytherin team. Rey wasn’t sure what to expect from the first game of the season, but the tension that had built with both houses in anticipation to the game made it nearly certain it wouldn’t be good.

Her gut feeling turned out to be right. George Weasley and Harry Potter attacked Malfoy after he provoked them, and Hux tried to knock Rose from her broom. Of course, the Slytherins didn’t pay a price for it; however, the Gryffindors were left reeling from the loss they took from the incidents. Harry, Fred, and George were banned from the sport by Professor Umbridge, though Fred hadn’t even been involved. The team was short on Beaters and a Seeker.

It was going to be a long season.

Christmas came and went. Ben spent the break with the Tico’s since his parents were still away in the Ministry, as always, and the break was far too short for him to be sent back to Luke. Poe and Finn spent the break with their own family, but they would be coming to visit after opening their gifts back home. Long after the rest of the Tico’s went to bed, Ben and Rey remained by the fireplace in the living room. The Christmas tree stood tall beside them, the presents that lay underneath it waiting to be opened when morning light arrived. They sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, watching the flames turn in their wild splendor as they spoke. 

“What do you reckon is going to happen?” Ben whispered.

The winter this year was colder than most. They had pushed closely together for warmth, a blanket wrapped around them as one. Rey had been shivering moments before, but Ben’s warmth had pooled into her own. He had barely needed to speak for her to hear him by how close they were.

“With what, exactly?” Rey asked, her calf-high Gryffindor socks peeking from underneath the blanket. 

“You-Know-Who and all that,” he explained. “Do you think there’s really a war coming?”

She shivered at the thought, despite the warmth. “I don’t really know… I think anything can happen.”

She felt his hand curl against her own underneath the blanket, and suddenly, Rey couldn’t breathe. “But we know about us, don’t we?” he murmured, his head turning toward her.

She could feel his eyes on her, burning into her with the sudden overwhelming truth of how close they were. She turned to meet his eyes, and again, they were so painfully close. She could smell the faint scent of petrichor and pine on him, accompanied by the soft undertones of smoke from preparing the fire. “Do we?” she asked.

He chuckled lightly as he lifted his right hand from underneath the blanket and held his forearm out to her, his palm up. She could see the white outline of the vow’s scar against his skin, a mirror of her own. Rey lifted her own hand from beneath the blanket, exposing it to less warm air, and held it out beside Ben’s hand. 

He let out a breath. “Incredible, isn’t it?”

She couldn’t deny it herself. She had always felt connected to Ben since they met, and seeing the vow’s scar on their skin, the way it began on one arm and ended in another as one united string of intertwining lines, only made her believe that perhaps they were always meant to be connected by something more. The Unbreakable Vow, no matter how dark and serious and maybe even stupid it had been, felt… right. Like coming home. 

He brought his opposite hand out from the depths of the blanket and curled his fingers around her forearm delicately. She held back a gasp that threatened to spill from her lips. He gently caressed his thumb against the side of her forearm, leaving her skin burning underneath his touch. It made her dizzy to think of him touching her so delicately anywhere else. 

“Do you ever regret it?” she asked.

He looked up at her. “No,” he said, dropping her hand. “Do you?”

She shook her head. “No, never,” she said. “I just wonder what it will be like later on…”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… if there will ever come a time where we will regret it…” Rey admitted. 

“We won’t,” Ben said quickly. “We can’t afford to think like that.”

“And what if one day we’ll have to?” 

Ben only stared at her. “We won’t,” he assured. “I promise you.”

She laughed lightly. “We’ve sort of already ensured that, haven’t we?” she asked, leaning her head back against the couch, eyes still on Ben.

He smiled, mirroring her and leaning his own head back against the couch. “I guess we have.”

They fell silent, accompanied only by the faint crackle of the fire in the background. Their eyes were lost in each other’s gazes. His fingertips brushed over her hand, and she responded to his touch, opening her hand to his. They didn’t intertwine their hands; instead, they traced each other’s hands delicately with their fingertips. It was the only part of their bodies touching, and yet, Rey was nearly drowning with the sheer desperation that shot through her.

Ben tore his eyes from her and she nearly protested, thinking he was going to leave, but his eyes only roamed over her face. His gaze slid over the frame of her face, across her forehead, past her nose, along her cheeks, stopping at her lips. His brows were furrowed, and she could tell that he was thinking deeply of something. She felt paralyzed, pinned down by the hold of his gaze, and she was nearly breathless.

His eyes found hers again. His face softened when he looked into her eyes again, and he was so much closer than she remembered him being just a moment before. “Rey,” he breathed, sounding just as breathless as she felt.

Their noses brushed as he leaned into her. Rey allowed her eyes to shut as she leaned in with him. Their lips met ever so gently for a moment, and something warm opened up within her chest in response. As if gaining confidence, Ben pressed his lips firmly against her own. It was her first kiss, and surely Ben’s, too, and she had the overwhelming feeling that it was the first kiss of many between them. It was full of care and delicacy, mixed with their nervousness and doubt.

Ben pulled away, barely an inch, to look into her eyes. He smiled, lighting up his entire face in joy, and Rey couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. He laughed with her, but cut it short, whispering, “Shh!” 

“Sorry,” she whispered. Still smiling, it was her that leaned in and closed the distance between them, her hand coming up to cup the nape of his neck. She could feel his smile against her lips, and she’s sure that she can feel all the youthfulness and appreciation he has spilling into her. His arms wound around her in a firm, yet gentle embrace as he deepened the kiss. 

They pulled away again, eyes still shut, and pressed their foreheads together. Every movement, every breath, felt so deliberate and careful. Rey placed her hands against Ben’s shoulders, slowly rising onto her knees. His face followed hers, his nose ghosting against her lips, until their lips were brushing again. She could feel his breath against her lips, almost shaky. She finally kissed him again, more firmly than before, and an unintelligible sound escaped him. 

Down the hall, they heard the creaking of the stairs in the darkness of the night. Ben pulled away, nearly panting, and whispered, “Someone’s coming.”

Whoever it was, Rey hated them. She hated them for interrupting such a special moment between her and Ben. She was angry that she and Ben had finally taken a step forward, after always seemingly taking steps back for years, with each other, and it would be ruined the moment it happened. 

“Rey?” a voice called, and the anger and hate inside of Rey dwindled into nothingness.

Rey could never hate her, no matter what, and she felt guilty that she felt such a way even for the briefest moment. Rey could feel her face reddening and looked into the hallway to see a half-asleep Rose rubbing at her eyes and squinting at her in the firelight. Her heart dropped at the sight, though she had anticipated her arrival, hoping Rose didn’t think anything odd of how she and Ben looked at that moment. 

“When are you coming to bed?” Rose asked, blinking away her tiredness. “We have to be up early tomorrow.” 

“Of course,” Rey called out, remembering. “I’m coming.” 

As Rose trudged back up the steps, Rey turned her attention to Ben. The reality of what they’d done washed over her, and her cheeks burned hotter. He only stared at her with an expression she couldn’t read. She didn’t say a word as she stood from the couch, walked around into the hall, and disappeared up the stairs. 

Rey crawled into her bed adjacent to Rose’s. She wrapped her blanket over herself closely for warmth, but she was wide awake. Her mind was still reeling from what had just happened. She waited to hear Ben’s footsteps come up the stairs, and after a few minutes, she did. She stared at the small crack in the bedroom doorway and saw as Ben appeared, peering into the room. Rey stole a glance at Rose, whose back was turned to her, and stood to her feet silently. 

Rey walked across the bedroom to the door, opening it slightly to allow her head to peek through. Ben smiled at her, and she found herself smiling back. “Get some sleep,” she whispered. “We have to be up early tomorrow.”

He nodded, and she leaned forward and pressed another kiss to his lips. It was a feeling unlike she had ever known, and she wanted to steal as much of it as she could. She had to force herself to pull away. “You keep kissing me like that, Rey, and I’m not going to be able to sleep all night,” he whispered. 

“I’m sure you’ll manage,” she teased.

“See you in the morning,” he whispered. 

She watched as he turned around and stalked away, but he turned on his heel. She stepped half of her body out of the bedroom in response, anticipating his arrival. He approached her again, took her face into his hands gently, and kissed her again. His lips were soft against hers, and she found herself leaning further into him. Her hand came up to grasp his arm, and he pulled away, exasperated. He looked down into her eyes for a moment, memorizing her face and every detail of the moment they found themselves in. “Good night,” he said. “For real this time.”

“Good night.”

With that, she stepped back into the bedroom and shut the door as silently as she could. She turned, and she could see Rose’s figure in the darkness. She was seated upright in her bed, staring at Rey. A hand rose up to cover her mouth as she laughed.

Rey tossed a pillow at her. “Shut up.”

“How long has that been going on?” Rose asked.

“Go to sleep, Rose.”

“Whatever you say.”

The next morning, Rey was shaken awake by Rose, later than originally planned. She groaned in annoyance, covering her face with a pillow, not ready to leave the warmth of her bed just yet. Rose, however, threatened to tell Mrs. Tico she wasn’t getting up, and Rey was up in an instant. Presents awaited them, but Mr. and Mrs. Tico insisted that the children have breakfast before opening anything. 

Ben had taken a seat across from Rey, beside Rose. Finn and Poe had surprisingly been present after urging their parents to let them arrive earlier to visit. The Tico’s were talking about a new story in the Daily Prophet, but Rey was barely listening to anything happening at the table until Rose spoke. “I had a weird dream last night,” she said. 

Rey looked at Ben with a stricken face, but he was looking at Rose curiously, and he reached out and grabbed his orange juice. “Really?” Mr. Tico asked at the head of the table, eyes peeking from above the Daily Prophet. “What about?”

“I just had a dream that Ben and Rey kissed in the doorway of our bedroom,” Rose blurted out.

Ben snorted into his orange juice in surprise. Everyone at the table stopped to stare at him, but his eyes were on Rey’s. Before either of them could stumble over a lie, Mrs. Tico came to their rescue. “Rose!” she exclaimed in disbelief. “How could you say such a thing? Look how red they’ve become. What a way to embarrass your sister!”

“It’s not the first time she’s done it,” Paige interrupted.

“Oh, shove off it, Paige!” Rose shot. “How is it my fault that I ran into you snogging Peter Davies?”

Mr. Tico reddened at the table. “Stop this at once!” he demanded. “I don’t want to hear a thing about my daughters, Rey included, snogging anyone, dream or no!”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Sam!” Mrs. Tico objected. “They’re growing up, it's entirely normal. If Rey wishes to kiss Ben, then she should be able to if he wishes the same thing—!”

Ben stood up, his face burning. “I’m going to go.”

“Ben, sit down,” Mrs. Tico snapped, and he took a seat immediately. Her face softened. “Listen, we understand what it’s like to grow up and be your age and have so many… er,  _ feelings _ , I should say, about who you’re attracted to—.”

“Mom!” Rey shouted before she could stop herself, desperately wanting out of the conversation.

“Rey, please, listen,” Mrs. Tico said. “You all have grown tremendously over the past couple of years, and of course, you’re finally coming to realize who and what you like, and it’s entirely normal to want to seek that out.”

Poe shifted uncomfortably in his seat beside Rey, and Finn looked like he was going to be sick from how uncomfortable he looked. Paige had her face in her hands in embarrassment. Rose was staring at her plate of food in an eager attempt to avoid the conversation. Ben swallowed nervously, avoiding Mr. Tico’s stare. Rey never wanted to disappear more. 

Mrs. Tico paused for a moment, taking a glance at Mr. Tico, but returned her gaze to the rest of the table. “We aren’t sure if your parents have these conversations with you—,” she began. Ben scoffed, not in disrespect, but at how true her words rang. “—but we want to emphasize how normal it is to feel these things at your age and the importance of being safe, most of all.”

“Okay,” Rose interrupted quickly. “We understand… Please, this is terrible to endure. It was only a dream.”

“We only want you all to do everything safely is all,” Mrs. Tico said. “Not only so, but being aware of consent, and making sure both people are okay with what’s happening.”

Ben offered an awkward smile. “Yes, thank you, Mrs. Tico,” he said. “We understand.”

Mrs. Tico nodded. “Very well. I’m glad,” she said. “This is something I intended to speak about at some point with my girls, but I suppose there’s no harm in talking to you all about it, too.”

An awkward silence fell over them. “So, presents, no?” Mr. Tico said.

They all nodded and smiled, attempting to brush past the conversation they’d all had. As the morning continued normally, Ben and Rey avoided each other’s eyes in embarrassment. The entire conversation had come about from their kiss the night before, one Rose confused with a dream, and now, there was no telling if they’d truly come any closer to admitting their feelings. She sighed, forced a smile, and took the present Mr. Tico offered to her. 

This was going to be a lot harder than she thought. 

* * *

“There was a mass breakout in Azkaban. Have you heard of it?” Rose asked. 

Rey shook her head. They were back to Hogwarts for the spring term, and although nothing else had been mentioned about Ben and Rey’s relationship, there were other pressing matters to be worried of. There was their studies, Quidditch, and of course, whatever was going on with Voldemort and his followers. Or so she told herself. 

“It was in the Daily Prophet… Bellatrix Lestrange escaped and so did Anwir Snoke… they were Dark Wizards that aided Lord Voldemort during his reign. Look,” Rose said, pulling out the large parchment of the newspaper. She opened it to a specific page that had the bolded headline Mass Breakout From Azkaban. Below it were two pictures, one of a dark-haired woman, and one of a dark-haired man. The sight of them both made Rey’s skin crawl, and she found out who they were by the names scrawled underneath the photos: Anwir Snoke and Bellatrix Lestrange. 

“I’d rather not see that any more than I have to,” Rey said, pushing it aside.

Rose complied, folding up the paper. “Everything that’s happened in the past year alone…” she said. “It’s all so terrifying. Something is coming, something big.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Rey demanded.

“It’s true!” Rose said. “All of it, it’s no coincidence, Rey.”

“Of course it isn’t,” she agreed, “but all we can do is be as best prepared as we can for what’s coming.”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

Rey stared down at her food, suddenly not hungry anymore. “I am scared, Rose,” she whispered. “But everyone else is, too.”

Rose remained silent, and Rey supposed that that was exactly how everyone thought to respond, too.

The secret lessons in the Room of Requirement continued in the spring. The more they all spent learning, the more distance grew between Ben and his Slytherin peers, Rey noticed. He didn’t approve of their methods and comments, but that had been entirely clear to her in the beginning. Ben spent most of his free time with her and the others, unless he had Quidditch practice or some other event in which he had to be with those in his house. In every other instance, he was with her and the others. It was the farthest he had ever been from his Slytherin peers, and to anyone else, it would seem as if he weren’t a Slytherin at all.

They had gone into learning how to conjure Patronuses in the Room of Requirement. Rey was surprised by how quickly the others had been able to pick up on the spell and conjure their own Patronuses. Finn’s Patronus was a dolphin, Rose’s an eagle, and Poe’s a lion. 

It took longer for Rey to manage to think of a memory happy enough, but she did. She closed her eyes and she recounted in her mind that Christmas Eve night in which, for the first time ever, she had kissed Ben. She remembered the feeling that had opened within her, all warmth and safety, at the soft press of his lips against hers. The incantation of the spell left her lips, and a burst of blue light shot forward. In the depths of the swirling lights was a figure forming, and it took a moment for her to realize it was a rabbit. 

“How did you do that?” Ben asked in awe, eyes regarding the galloping rabbit. “What did you even think of?”

Rey couldn’t help her smile, and she wasn’t sure if she should say the truth or shrug it off. She blinked and took the plunge. “Christmas Eve.”

He looked at her in surprise, but he laughed with a nod. “Christmas Eve it is.”

Rey watched as Ben lifted his wand. He took a moment, remembering the night they both knew so well, before he yelled the incantation. The familiar blue light shot out from his wand, swirling around him in its brilliance, and Ben’s face lit up at the sight. She watched as the figure formed before her eyes, slowly, then all at once. A fox ran across the air.

She turned to Ben with a smile, and his mouth was open in disbelief. “You did it!” she exclaimed, running forward and throwing her arms around him. She felt his smile against her neck as he took her up in his arms, spinning once in delight. 

He let her down and pulled away, looking down at her. She had never seen him so happy. To be entirely honest, she wasn’t sure she had seen him so carefree and joyful as he was this year. Before they could say anything more, Harry interrupted to congratulate them on the spell. They took the praise with thanks, and for the rest of the evening, their eyes continued to find each other, as if their hearts and souls were reaching out to each other past their bodies and acting on their own to see the other one last time. 


	12. The Prophecy of Two

Dumbledore’s Army continually escaped capture again and again, but their victories were short-lived. Harry explained to them that he needed to speak with someone urgently, but the only way to be able to was through Umbridge’s office. They devised a plan to get Harry inside while the others guarded the corridor. It was a terrible and risky idea, Rey knew, but she trusted Harry and what he wanted to do. Once Harry was inside, they all took their respective places on watch. It wasn’t long before the tip of a wand pressed into Rey’s neck, accompanied with the whisper, “Move and I’ll jinx you. Give me your wand, and come with me.”

Rey hesitantly obeyed, and the Slytherin behind her took hold of her with a tight grip and forced her forward. The press of the wand against her neck was a constant threat, and Rey promised herself she’d make him pay for it. She was roughly shoved into a room, and as she took a glance around, she realized she wasn’t the only one who’d been caught. 

In Umbridge’s office, Harry was seated in the middle with Umbridge leaning down before him. Around the room, she could see everyone else held firm by a Slytherin counterpart, wands held at the ready if they dared to attempt to escape. There was Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville, those of whom she wasn’t well acquainted with, and of course, those of which she was: Rose, Finn, Poe, and Ben. 

Rey knew this wasn’t good, and her mind was reeling with how they were going to manage to escape this.

Umbridge questioned Harry extensively, and when he or the others wouldn’t speak, she called for Snape to give them a truth serum. Rey had never known what to think of the professor, but for the first time, she found herself internally begging him to help them. Harry tried to get through to him, telling him something he would understand, but she wasn’t sure if he understood. Snape stalked away from the office in silence, and the hopelessness of it all started to settle over them once again. 

“Well,” Umbridge said. “The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue.”

“No!” Rose protested, moving forward, but Armitage held her firm and pressed his wand tighter against her neck. 

Rey stood stunned as Umbridge raised her wand to Harry, vulnerable and shaky in the seat. 

“Tell her, Harry!” Hermione yelled. 

“Tell me what?”

“If you don’t tell her, I will.”

“Where what is?”

“Dumbledore’s secret weapon.”

Rey nearly sighed in relief. It was a trick, a lie to try to get them out and into the Department of Mysteries. Thank goodness for Hermione’s quick wit. 

Umbridge questioned her further, and Hermione revealed it was in the forest. She and Harry would take Umbridge to show her. Surprisingly, the professor fell for the tale and ordered her gang of Slytherins to make sure nobody left until she returned. When Harry, Hermione, and Umbridge left the room, they were left in agonizing silence. They all looked around at each other, and Rey could read the same thing in everyone’s faces:  _ We have to escape. _

Rose was nearest to the window and she peeked behind her to look outside of it. She turned her gaze to Rey and slowly nodded. Rey looked about the room to see everyone waiting for the green light to do what they were all thinking. 

“Now!” Rey yelled, and the room exploded into action. She brought her elbow back, hitting the Slytherin behind her hard, and catching him by surprise. He yelled as Rey heard his nose crack violently underneath her elbow. She whirled on him and snatched her wand from his hand. He was too preoccupied clutching his bleeding nose in pain to do anything in the moment. He looked up at her in defiance and lifted his wand. “ _ Expelliarmus! _ ” she yelled, her wand pointed at him. 

His wand flew from his hand, and Rey caught it. Teeth bared in anger, he lunged at Rey, but she was faster. “ _ Petrificus Totalus! _ ” He froze, and fell to the ground with a thud.

She turned to see everyone else standing at the ready. The Slytherins that held them captive were all trapped underneath some sort of spell of their own. Rey was sure that Rose had transfigured Hux into a fox, held down by a chain link to the ground. Ben took hold of her hand as they ran out of Umbridge’s office. 

They ran through the forest before running into Harry and Hermione. Rey had several questions at the sight of them, one of them being where Umbridge was, but they beat her to it. They asked how they managed to escape, to which the others were quick to explain as they, too, wanted to know how they had managed to get away from Umbridge.

“Centaurs took her away,” Harry answered nonchalantly, “but there’s no time for that, we have to go!”

After a rather anxious discussion as to how they would even get to the Ministry, Luna provided a solution by recommending the thestrals Hogwarts used to carry carriages. There was just one problem: since they had both witnessed death, Harry and Luna were the only ones who would see the magical creatures. Luna had to verbally guide everyone to be able to mount the animal, and even though that had seemed like an impossible feat in itself, Rey supposed riding an invisible animal seemed even more so. 

Thankfully, Luna was there to calm all their anxieties, and they were off. Harry warned them of their descent as they approached their destination. They stepped off the magical creatures in front of a battered telephone box, which, funnily enough, turned out to be the entrance to the Ministry. 

They all crammed into the tiny thing, and Rey found herself pressed against Ben awkwardly. She looked up at him, and he looked down at her, and they both burned red.

“Whoever’s closest to the numbers, press…” 

Harry’s voice was drowned out as Ben spoke. “You know, after all this is over, we should… talk about things,” Ben suggested.

“Things?”

He smiled. “Us,” he clarified. 

“Oh,” Rey said. “What a convenient time to bring that up.”

“I could say the same for you.”

“Shut up,” she said. 

Before their conversation could continue, they had arrived. They all tumbled out of the telephone box and into the Ministry. They all followed Harry to where he insisted they needed to go. Slowly, they approached a dark, intimidating door at the end of a hall.

They ran through it and found themselves in a large, expansive room full of towering shelves. The shelves seemed to extend on forever, each one filled with hundreds upon hundreds of what looked like smoky crystal balls. They each varied in size, some larger than others, others more dusted and ancient than the rest. 

Rey and the others followed Ben into the darkness of the room, illuminated only by the dull light of the crystal balls and their wands. It wasn’t long before they reached where they were meant to be. Frustratingly enough, what Harry had expected to be there wasn’t, but something was still awaiting for them to find.

“Harry…” Ron’s voice had called out. “This globe has your name on it.”

As Harry was distracted by a silvery globe with his name, Rey noticed something of her own. “Ben?” she called. “This here… it has your name on it… and mine.”

Ben turned his attention to her. Rey approached the shelf of foggy globes, eyes narrowing to read what one said: _Ben Solo and Rey Tico to Lord Palpatine_. It could’ve been about another Ben Solo and Rey Tico, surely, but what other Ben Solo’s and Rey Tico’s existed in the Wizarding World, especially together? Rey reached out for it. 

“Rey, no!” Ben hissed, but she ignored him. 

Rey clutched the prophetic, circular object in her hand. She stared down at it, entranced as the fog within it swirled at her touch. She could see faces forming and growing distorted within it. Whispers seemed to rise from within the globe and they grew louder until a clear voice filled the air: 

_ “Two will become one, _

_ Equals on opposite sides. _

_ The daughter of none  _

_ and the son of darkness. _

_ Destined for greatness _

_ And full of strength, _

_ The nobody from nowhere _

_ And the child of legends _

_ Shall defeat Lord Palpatine _

_ And his reign _

_ Once and for all. _

_ They will be called the harbingers of _

_ Peace and prosperity, _

_ Of balance and triumph, _

_ Of hope and new life.” _

She recoiled at the words, her mind filling with one word:  _ no.  _ She didn’t want any part of this, of any fight, of any war. She had never asked for such a thing, and now she was to be thrust into a fated rebellion alongside Ben? 

Suddenly, a figure was in front of her in dark robes. He stepped out of the shadows into the light of her wand, and Rey let out a gasp in surprise as she stepped back. She stumbled back into Ben, who took hold of her arm protectively. The man had fair skin and dark hair; the look in his eyes alone, pits of everlasting darkness, was enough to unnerve her. Rey recognized him with a start: Anwir Snoke. “Give that to me,” he demanded, holding a hand out to her. 

Behind her, she could hear another confrontation happening with Harry and the others. She turned her head to see more witches and wizards in dark robes approaching them from every side. They were cornered, and they all began backing away into a tightly knit circle. Rey held her ground firm, holding the globe behind her with one hand and her wand in the other.  _ That voice, _ she thought, perplexed, as she regarded Snoke.  _ I know that voice. I’ve heard that voice before. _

Snoke looked directly at Ben, barely an inch behind her, and smiled slightly. “Ah, young Solo,” he sneered at him. “Interesting to see you here.”

She felt Ben’s body tense behind her. “And why would that be?” he shot.

Snoke tilted his head in bemusement. “Fighting this side of the fight, despite it all…” he continued, “very interesting, indeed.”

“What does that mean?”

Snoke smiled, and it was a smile dripping with darkness. Rey shuddered. “Well, of course, Solo, you can’t deny the truth that is your family,” he said. “The truth that is your lineage.”

Ben’s expression froze over. “You don’t know a thing about my family or my lineage.”

“And neither do you… but you will find out soon enough,” Snoke said. “All those secrets your family keeps from you… Don’t you want to know the truth?” 

Ben faltered, and Rey felt him glance down at her. Snoke turned then, eyes falling over her with dark interest. “Ah, yes, of course. The orphan,” he observed. “How deep his love runs for you. It’s his greatest weakness. It’s what keeps him from his true destiny--”

“Shut up,” Ben said, stepping in front of her. 

“Ben, he’s lying,” Rey said desperately. “He’s just trying to get under your skin.”

“Am I?” Snoke asked. “Or am I just looking out for a dear… friend? Is that what you would call it?”

She blinked. “What is he talking about?”

Ben’s gaze didn’t waver, eyes hard. “It doesn’t matter, Rey.”

“Come with me,” Snoke told him. “I can tell you the truth. Just hand over the prophecy.”

“You’re insane,” Ben shot.

“Maybe,” Snoke said, “but we both know you’re fighting on a side you don’t belong in. This is your rightful place. We are your rightful place. Your true family.”

Ben’s eyes filled with tears. “No,” he said, breath shaky, “you’re not.”

“Deny it all you want,” Snoke said. “But deep down, you know it’s true. Your family fears you for a reason. They send you away in an attempt to fix something that can’t be mended because it runs in your blood.”

Ben took a deep breath, as if to contain himself, and his fists clenched at his sides.“You’re  _ lying _ ,” he choked out, desperate to believe the words himself. 

“Why don’t you find out if I am?” Snoke proposed, holding out his hand. “Hand it over, and I’ll tell you everything you’ve always wanted to know.”

“Rey…” Ben whispered, eyes still on the Dark wizard. “Give it to me.”

“Ben, no--!”

“Rey, trust me.”

Rey slowly placed it in his hand. He regarded it for a moment, before looking back up at Snoke. Snoke watched him carefully. 

“You want this so desperately, and I want the truth,” Ben observed. “But… I suppose we both won’t be getting what we want.”

Ben lifted his hand and brought it down with force, shattering the prophecy on the ground. Snoke bellowed in anger as it disappeared into the air, no evidence to support that it had ever existed. He lifted his wand, already muttering a curse, but Rey ducked from behind Ben and shouted, “ _ Flipendo! _ ”

Snoke was thrown into the air and his body landed painfully onto the ground a good distance away. By the time he struggled to his feet from the rough landing, Ben, Rey, and the others were already running in opposite directions. Ben’s hand was clasped in Rey’s as they ran through the aisles upon aisles of prophecies, attempting to find their way back to the door in which they came. Shadows of darkness swirled around them, following them to stunt their escape. 

Rey and Ben screamed as they ran into the others, but they quickly recovered when they realized who it was. They stopped for a moment, staring behind her, and Rey turned to follow their gaze. Speeding toward them was that sickly, familiar dark smoke of a traveling Death Eater. Ginny, beside her, lifted her wand and yelled, “ _ Reducto! _ ”

The spark from her wand travelled down the aisle at the Death Eater at an alarming speed. There was a burst of bright light and a strong breeze blowing past them on impact. The light dwindled, and prophecies began to fall as shelves collapsed. Rey watched as shelf after shelf fell, prophecies shattering in their wake, growing closer to them.

“Run!” Harry yelled, and they all broke into a run after him. 

Rey only hoped Harry knew where he was going because they would all die if he didn’t. In front of her, she saw Harry go through a door into darkness. She followed and fell through the air. She screamed as she plummeted toward the ground, and Rey shut her eyes as the ground rose to meet the sickening crack of her body on impact. Before she hit the ground, her body stopped in midair before dropping her into the stone below her. She blinked in disbelief, not quite knowing if it was a figment of her imagination and she truly was dead or the generous save of a spell. 

Before Rey could decide which was which, there was an assault of darkness upon them. Rey raised her wand in defense, but the darkness swirled around her, too close and suffocating. It cleared just as quickly as it had come, and Rey found herself clutched against a body behind her, a wand pressed against her neck. She fumbled for her wand, but it was on the ground behind Ben. Ben was in front of her, eyes full of fear.

“I should kill her right now for what you did,” Snoke threatened from behind her. “Revel in your pain. It’s what I should do, but I know she’s at my mercy and I will use her to get what I still have left.”

“Let her go,” Ben pleaded. All the defiance in his voice before seemed to go out like a light. Because now it was Rey. 

“Come with me, and I will,” Snoke offered. “I will not harm a hair on her pretty little head. All you have to do is come with me.”

“Ben,” Rey pleaded. “Don’t.”

His eyes found hers, and he took a shaky breath in fear. Snoke tightened his hold on her, pressing the wand harder against her neck. “Quiet, mudblood,” he shot.

Ben’s eyes hardened. “I’ll kill you,” he said. “The pain you will be subjected to if you so much as do anything else to her, you’ll be wishing you were dead. Now, let her go.”

Rey’s stomach turned as she felt the vibration of Snoke’s laugh. “Ah, there it is,” he mocked. “That rage, that anger, that you try to bury. It is where your true power lies. Where the answer to your lineage lies.”

The look in Ben’s eyes terrified her. “I will not be asking you a third time,” he threatened. “Let. Her. Go.” 

There was a crack, and suddenly, appearing from the shadows beside them was Han Solo. “You heard my son,” he said smugly. “Let the girl go.”

Snoke looked at the man with wide eyes as Han raised his wand and attacked. Rey was shoved forward, released from his grasp, as he moved to defend himself. She stumbled forward, and arms wound around her to keep her from falling. She clutched at the protective arms around her, and she knew who it was before she even looked up. 

Ben’s eyes were darker than she remembered, but a comfort all the same. 

Rey snatched her wand from the ground, stood on her own two feet, and turned with Ben against the threats closing in on them. She saw as older Wizards from the Order had arrived: Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, Fudge, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Han Solo, and of course, Leia Organa. She watched in awe as they battled almost beautifully against the Death Eaters against them. 

Rey and Ben stood firm with their wands raised at the ready, blocking any spells shot their way, as the adults took the brunt of most of the danger. One at a time, the Death Eaters began to retreat. Snoke appeared before them again, and Rey quickly ushered Ben behind her as she raised her wand. 

The Dark wizard looked at Ben with a smile that sent shivers down her spine. “Until we meet again, young Solo,” he said, before disappearing entirely. 

Then there was the screaming. The awful, guttural, screams of agony. Rey turned, and she saw Harry screaming in the arms of Remus Lupin. She looked about the room and she realized with a start that Sirius Black was gone. Then Harry was running, disappearing through the exit of the room into the Ministry halls. 

Rey’s attention turned to Ben as Leia appeared by their sides. She took one small glance at Ben, a gaze full of motherly love, and took him into her arms. Han stood behind them, and he gave Rey a nod in greeting. Ben hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. 

“Are you okay?” Han asked her.

Rey nodded, though her heart was still beating rapidly. “Yes,” she replied. “Yes, I think so.”

Han turned his gaze towards his wife and son. Leia was cupping Ben’s cheeks, her eyes filled with tears, and she was whispering words Rey couldn’t catch. Ben’s voice was clear through the air: “I’m fine, Mom, I’m fine. I promise.”

Leia’s eyes landed on Rey just beside Han. The Auror stepped away from Ben to approach her. “Rey,” she said. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Rey replied without much thought. “I believe I am.”

“Okay, that’s good—,” Leia began, but chaos sounded outside the room. She grasped into Rey’s shoulder, taking a quick glance towards the exit of the room, and opened her arm towards Ben. “Come, we need to get you all somewhere safe.”

“Mom, please,” Ben objected. “We can protect ourselves. Let us help!”

“You’re children!” Leia said. “I don’t want you involved in any of this anymore than you have to be. A war ravaged my youth; I’d rather protect you from one as much as I can. Ben, please.”

Ben looked toward the exit hesitantly, his jaw clenched. It took barely a moment before he was approaching Leia. “Mom, Dad, go!” he said. “I’ll Apparate with Rey. Get Rose, Finn, and Poe somewhere safe.”

Han pressed a hand to Ben’s shoulder. “Son, are you sure?”

“Definitely,” Ben replied, eyes full of determination, taking hold of Rey’s hands. “Luke taught me last summer.” He looked at Rey. “Besides, it’s not something I’d count on messing up.” 

_ Because it’s you,  _ Rey could almost hear the words that had died on his lips. He didn’t need to say them aloud. She already knew. 

“Go,” Ben said. 

“Stay safe,” Leia said, more of an order than anything else. 

Rey’s heart raced at the thought. Ben Apparating? She trusted him, surely, but so much as to do something most of those his age couldn’t? 

“Ben, I…” she began, frantic. “I don’t know about this!”

“I need you to trust me!” Ben said. 

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

“We have to!”

“No, I… I can’t!”

“Keep hold of me!”

“No!” Rey yelled. “I can’t… I won’t.”

“We don’t have a choice!” Ben yelled. “Trust me!”

“Ben…”

Then his lips were over hers. It was nothing like the kisses they had shared before, all gentle and careful. The kiss was full of desperation and pleading, and Rey was nearly dizzy with how unexpected it all was. Ben’s hands wrapped around her waist, clutching her against him, and then she knew. 

The realization died in her mind the second it has blossomed, interrupted by the cry of pain that shot through her as Ben Apparated. Her body tore away from Ben’s, and then painfully from itself, before reforming again and again and again. She both felt like she was falling and being torn apart, and perhaps that was exactly what was happening. The only sure thing she felt was pain, like a stake through her entire body, and the hard grip of Ben’s hand over her wrist. 

Then her feet found the ground, and Ben was in front of her. The shock of what had happened and the dull pain still running through her body left her stumbling back, and apparently, Ben as well. Rey’s back slammed against a table behind her. She gasped and brought a hand back to grip the edge to balance herself. Ben’s body fell against hers, but he quickly regained his balance and raised his head to look at her.

“You did it,” Rey breathed out.

He smiled weakly, obviously exhausted by their trip. “I guess so.”

“We almost died.”

“Yes.”

“We could have died.”

“Surely.”

“And we would have died never saying a word about what we are to each other,” Rey said.

“No.”

“Quite stupid, isn’t it?”

“Definitely.”

Then he was kissing her again. The desperation in his kiss seemed to pour into her, feeding into her own, and she was left kissing him with the same intensity. His lips were soft against hers, but the softness of their touch was overpowered by the yearning in his movements. Her tongue grazed his lips, and a sound escapes him at the contact as he opens her mouth with his own. Her hands found the nape of his neck to pull him closer against her, and his arms wrapped around her. The small of her back digs into the table behind her, but she couldn’t care less. 

“Be with me,” he whispered against her lips. “Never leave me.”

“Dear God,” a voice called. 

They tore apart, and Rey was definitely sure she could hate whoever had interrupted them this time. It was an older man, standing in the doorway of the kitchen she realized she was in, his hair graying and his eyes full of years of experience. 

“Luke,” Ben said, eyes hard all over again. “What’re you doing here?”

“Your parents called,” Luke said. “Told me to expect some guests. I didn’t expect that, I’ll tell you that.”

“You shouldn’t be one to shame me for near anything, I’ll tell  _ you _ that,” Ben shot. 

“And why’s that?”

Ben opened his mouth to speak, but he hesitated. Rey noticed that his fists were clenched at his sides. His defiance to Luke was met with the same firm hold of a man who wouldn’t back down himself. Rey thought that perhaps she should have always believed that the Skywalkers alone had a natural courage to them, considering how brave Leia herself seemed. 

Luke turned to Rey. “Are you Rey?”

“Yes,” Rey answered weakly, suddenly shy. “That’s me.”

“My nephew has told me all about you,” he said. “The muggle-born with determination and brilliance alike none other he’s known, and, of course, also incredibly beautiful—.”

“That’s enough, Uncle.”

Rey’s cheeks burned, and she avoided Ben’s gaze. Luke smiled at her. “Only teasing.” 

“There’s no time for that, I need to speak with you.”

“And there was certainly time for what you two were doing?”

“Get off your high horse,” Ben shot. “Don’t act like you’ve never been my age before.”

“Don’t act like you can talk to me that way,” he fired back. “I am your uncle, and I am also your teacher.”

“I don’t give a damn what you are,” Ben said. “You lied to me.”

“I did no such thing.”

“Then why is Snoke pestering me about my lineage?” 

Luke paled. “You would believe a Dark wizard like him? Over your own family?”

“Yes, perhaps I would,” Ben said. “Maybe he’s the only one willing to be honest with me.”

“How dare you?”

“No, how dare _you_?” Ben yelled. “Tell me the truth.”

“There is no truth to tell,” Luke insisted. “You beg for an answer that doesn’t exist because you don’t want to admit that your destiny has always been darkness. You just want an excuse for it.” 

Silence fell over them. 

“My mother would kill you if she heard you say that,” Ben said. “I know the entire family is thinking about it, but you don’t have to tell me. Not like that.” 

Luke only stared at him. 

“You know something, I know you do,” Ben said, eyes glistening with tears. “And I’m going to find out what it is, whether it’s from you or not.”

“Ben—,” Luke began, reaching for him, but he wouldn’t have it.

“Don’t you lay a finger on me,” Ben said. “You’ve done enough, and your honesty is well appreciated, thank you very much.”

Ben took hold of her hand and walked away, leading her behind him all the way upstairs and into his room. She had barely had any time to acquaint herself with the new environment when he was pushing a parchment and quill into her hands. “Here, you should write to your parents,” he said. “They’ll be hearing about the Ministry soon, and they should know you’re safe.” 

Rey stared down at it in her hands, and her heart dropped. “Oh no,” she said quickly. “What about the others? Shouldn’t they have come back already? Rose—?”

As if on cue, there was a loud crack heard downstairs. Rey rushed out into the hall and peered down into the first floor hallway from the railway. Rose, Finn, and Poe looked up at her, and Rey ran down the stairs. She wrapped her arms around them in a tight hug. “Oh, my god,” she said, “I’m so glad you’re all okay.”

“Us too,” Rose said, pulling away. “Leia said Ben Apparated with you?”

“Yes, he did,” Rey replied. She glanced around them. “Where’s Leia anyway?”

“What the hell is even going on between you two?” she heard Poe whisper. 

“You told him what?” Leia yelled from the kitchen. Rey watched as she rushed into the hallway, pushing past them with as much care as possible, and stalked up the stairs.

“Leia, wait,” Rey called, rushing to the stairs.

“Rey, it’s alright,” Leia said, stopping at the steps. She held a hand to her cheek. “You’ve been a great friend to our boy. Let me speak to him.”

“Of course,” Rey said, stepping back. Rey watched as Leia walked up the steps, and she turned her attention back to the kitchen where Han and Luke were in a whispered discussion. She stalked into the room, the others close behind her.

“What happened?” she asked.

They both stopped to look at her. “Voldemort’s back,” Han said. “No conspiracy this time.”

“Han!” Luke yelled, slapping Han’s wrist.

“What?” Han asked. “They should know the truth. There’s no point in lying about it. They’d find out one way or another. Have you forgotten the curiosity you had at their age?” 

Luke grumbled grumpily but didn’t disagree.

“So what now?” Rey asked. “We find him and we defeat him?”

Han smiled at her. “I like where your head's at, but no,” he said. “We don’t know where they’re located or anything like that. We’ll just have to do our best, and wait and see.”

“Wait and see?” Rey asked. “Are you mad?”

“I understand how you’re feeling right now,” Han said. “You’ve just escaped death and you want this evil defeated, trust me when I say I know how that feels, but there isn’t much we can do right now.”

Rey let out a breath in defeat and nodded in agreement.

Han’s eyes glanced over the rest of them. “We’ll be taking you back to Hogwarts in a bit after everyone gets a little bit of a breather, yeah?”

“We should take them back as soon as possible,” Leia’s voice called from the hallway as she descended down the stairs. Rey, Rose, Finn, and Poe turned to look at the Auror approaching. “It’ll be better that they pack their things to leave.”

“Already?” Finn asked. “It’s not even the end of term.”

“Not yet,” Leia acknowledged. “You can expect to be let home a little earlier than usual.”

“Oh, well, if that’s the case,” Han said. “I’ll take two and you can take the other two. We’ll Apparate just outside the grounds.”

Rey blinked. “And Ben?”

Leia’s eyes were full of concern. “He’ll be arriving back later on.”

“Can I say goodbye to him?” she asked.

“You’ll see him on the platform.”

“I don’t understand, why can’t I see him now?”

“Rey, please.”

Rey took a breath. “Okay.”

Han took hold of her and Rose, warned them to keep hold of him, and the warm house around them disappeared into nothingness. They arrived outside the grounds of Hogwarts, Leia with Finn and Poe arriving just seconds later, and they accompanied on the walk up to the looming castle. They said their goodbyes and disappeared into the night.

Ben didn’t arrive back until the day before they were set to leave back home on the Hogwarts Express. She tried to ask what had happened while he was away, but she didn’t want to press him on the matter. He didn’t seem to want to talk about it. His eyes were distant, as if he were a thousand miles away. She’d never seen Ben so quiet, and she couldn’t deny how unsettling it was. He’d gone into the Department of Mysteries one person, and he seemed to have come out of it as another.

The train back home was even more agonizing because of the silence. How had things changed so quickly?

When they arrived on the train platform, Rey took hold of his hand. He had turned to her in surprise, but there was a new look over his face that seemed to dull all of his expressions. It had been clear since he’d returned, since the Department of Mysteries and their confrontation with Snoke.

“Wait,” she said. “I really don’t know what’s going on, especially with what happened at the Ministry...” He shuddered at the mention of the incident. “... but you can talk to me about anything.”

He looked so terribly sad, and it pained her to see. “I know.”

Rey wanted to fight back, to verbally push him into a corner and demand answers from him, but she knew she could never do that to him. That would have been cruel and selfish of her to do that, but she had never wanted him to speak to her so badly before. She only wished he would confide in her, trust her with the things he’d seemed to be carrying for years that he wasn’t talking about. 

“I’ll write to you,” Rey whispered to him. 

He smiled weakly. “I know you will.” He looked at her in such a way that she was sure he was going to kiss her, but all he did was say, “I have to go.”

He stepped back and his hand slipped from hers, though their hands still hung in the air towards each other. He gave her a sad smile, pain behind his eyes, before he Apparated. Rey let her hand drop to her side. Ben was no longer there physically, but she could still feel the warm press of his presence, a steady force constant within her. It kept her warm and it reminded her of the home she had come to know, the one within his eyes. 

Into the air, where he had been just moments before, she let herself speak the three words she was always too afraid to say. The words seemed to hang in the air. It was a string of meaning never finding their place where they belonged. 

She hoped that perhaps one day they would.


End file.
